StarFire
by PureSaberHeart
Summary: After an unfortunate event, Shira leaves her pack in search of another purpose in life. She runs into Diego, a saber from the opposite rival pack of Shira's. Can the two sabers put there differences aside and work together to fix this situation?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title

StarFire

A/N:

Hello everyone, this is my first fanfic story ever. It may not be the best Shira/Diego story out there, but I'm giving this a shot.

Inspiration:

_StarFire_ by_ Dragonforce_

"Why is this happening to me? What have I done? Is this destiny? Is this fate? Why me?"

The light- grayish colored , black striped tigress repeatedly told herself as she continued to advance through the shadowed in forest. She couldn't think straight. She didn't care what would happen. She couldn't just turn around and stagger back into the mistake she made.

It was complete silence that night in the forest where the Epsilon pack ruled. The island consisted of seven major packs: Alpha, Delta, Gamma, Epsilon, Beta, Zeta and Omega. The Alphas ruled over the sparkly white blanket-covered mountain tops located in the center of the island, while the Omegas were the descendants of the earth who civilized underground to gather resources. The Epsilon pack had a very gentle way of life, but if they had to, aggression would kick in.

It was a regular night for the Epsilons. The pack was enjoying their weekly celebration feast. All of the members enjoyed this. All except one. A light-grayish tigress with black striped patterns over her body didn't enjoy the way the Epsilon pack was run. She would much rather live a quite life with a caring mate. While the pack was busy stuffing themselves with piles of meat, the sapphire eyed tiger walked off to where it was quite. As she descended into the dark forest, a voice called out from behind her.

"Shira! Wait up!" She looked behind her to see her friend, Krystal, who had similar looks to Shira. She was a bit taller than Shira, and instead of sapphire eyes, she had tinted green eyes.

Shira didn't answer her and waited for her to catch up.

"Where are you going? The feast just started." Krystal said, knowingly knowing how Shira does the same thing at every feast. She's her friend after all, and wouldn't hold it against her.

"Oh…uh…ya, I…uh," Shira stumbled the words in her head, "I, uh, just wanted to be alone for a little bit."

"If you insist." Krystal said grimly.

"You wanna come for a walk? Just for a little bit?" Shira asked, all though it sounded more like hesitation.

"Well, you know how I feel about leaving the pack. These woods haven't been the same, you know?" Krystal reminded.

"Ya, I know, but it won't be long. Just ten minutes, or so." Shira informed, eager to leave.

"…Alright. But the second something weird happens, we're darting back, ok?"

"Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen."

Krystal still wasn't entirely convinced, "Careful what you say, Shira."

"You too." Shira said coldly.

The two walk off into the woods. This forest was filled with so many trees, that the sky was barely visible because of the trees pine needled blocking the view, thus making it hard to believe that any snow got through to hit the ground, yet the snow reached about one or two feet above the ground.

Once the two sabers were far enough away enough to where they couldn't see the bonfire that the pack set up for the feast, they started up a conversation.

"You seem like you've been down a lot lately." Krystal said.

"Wow, you think? Am I that obvious?" Shira says with a sarcastic grin on her face.

"Well, let's see. Lately, you haven't really said much to anyone, even me. Uh, you hardly ever eat. And just yesterday, you turned down on the strongest male in the pack? I mean, what kind of saber does that?"

"The same kind that doesn't beg for attention, or hell, even needs it." Shira said gloomily. She then sighs. "I can't go on living here." Shira admits. "This isn't for me. I'd rather live alone with a saber who cares for me."

"I care." Krystal tells her.

"I meant a male saber." Shira corrects herself.

" Oh, sorry." Krystal says.

Neither one of them say much until they hear a noise. It sounded like thumping.

"What's that?" Shira asks.

"What's what?" Krystal says looking around.

"That noise, it's getting louder."

Both sabers continue to hear to noise getting louder and louder. Shira finally realizes that it's coming from behind her. She was about to turn around when all of a sudden, she feels a pain in her stomach, and the next thing she know's, she's in the air and slams into a tree. She feels her face come in contact with the ice cold snow as she hits the ground. She didn't know what just happened at that moment. Her vision was blurry and all she could make out were two white figures, one bigger than the other. She also noticed the color red. Wait, red?! She thought. It then hit her that Krystal was bleeding. Whoever slammed her into a tree must have done this to Krystal.

Her vision suddenly came to view and made out her enemy. A seven foot tall enraged polar bear. She also dropped her jaw in shock at Krystal's body. Lifeless. It was the most horrifying image she's ever seen.

At that moment, all of her senses inside of her told to get the hell out of there! Run away! As far as you can go!

She got up as quick as she could and sprinted as fast as she could. Away from the mistake that she made.

All of that happened on that one normal unexpected afternoon.

She continued running. She thought of solutions for this matter, but it was a flat out dead chance there was any salvation for this matter.

She looked back once more, tears streaming down her face, and looked to see if the polar bear was following her.

Right then and there, her leg got cut on a log with a knot sticking out of it. She flipped over and face planted once again into the unforgiving snow.

She looked down at her leg to witness a severely deep cut running across it. She tried getting up. She did, and tried to ignore the pain it brought her.

She was about to give up right there, when she noticed a dim source of moonlight shining from the trees, making her silver coat sparkle. She gets up and limps out of the forest at last.

The view outside was breathtaking. She couldn't remember the last time she was outside of the forest. It came to her attention her bleeding leg. She needed to find a water source. Thankfully, there was one right before her eyes. A river. She limps over to it and descends her back area into the fresh water.

"I wish it were salt water." Shira tells herself. Salt water heals cuts better than fresh water. Although it would hurt like hell if she did her cut in salt water, it would be worth it. However, fresh water will cause numbness because of the freezing temperature, thus getting rid of the pain in her cut.

As she sits in the freezing cold water, she starts thinking about where to go from here.

"I can't go back. That much is obvious." She thought. "If only there was someone or something, anything, anyone who had an answer, it would make everything a lot better. But why would that happen? Or to me, anyways."

She sighs and just continues to sit there. Part of her was saying that the best way to just bleed to death and die. If nothing else would help her, what would the point of trying be?

She began to cry again, but was cut off short to the sound of growling.

She groans, "Really? Right Now?" She realizes that she hasn't eaten for two days. The depression really got to her. She starts to get up. That's when she notices that it wasn't her stomach that was making that noise. It was something else. That's when it hit her. The polar bear! It must have tracked her down! She was about to look behind her when all of a sudden, a blaze of gold shot out from the bushes and knocked her to the ground.

Shira was pinned down by the throat. She looked up to see a golden furred masculine saber tooth tiger pinning her down. She knew already that she didn't have an option to fight back. He was way too strong.

"You're from the Epsilon pack, aren't you?!" He tells her. Shira was surprised at how strong his voice was.

Shira could hardly breathe from the lack of oxygen that the male saber was cutting off due to his grip on her throat.

Shira had no other option and begged him to release her.

"Please, let me up, please! I'll tell you why I'm here! Please!" She begged.

The male saber denied at first, but that was before he looked at her face completely. He released his grip on her. Shira gasped for breath and breathed heavily. The male saber stayed in a ready position in case she tried to take off.

"Alright," he said, "Why are you here? Epsilons never leave the forest. They get banished if they do."

"I left the pack. I wasn't banished. I would have been if I stayed there any longer."

Shira recapped the long story of how she ended up here. She figured that it didn't matter what she did now. It didn't matter that she was telling something she didn't want anyone to find out about to this stranger that she just met.

After she was done with her recapping, the male saber had a change of heart, "…..I'm sorry." He said.

Shira wasn't sure if it was what she's been through that he was sorry about or how he tried to hurt her, or both for that matter.

"What's your name?" He asks politely.

"Shira" she tells him.

"Well Shira, I'm not sure what you'll do from here, but I can't help you." You're lucky I didn't kill you right then and there." He says and begins to walk off.

"Please help me." Was all Shira could say.

The male saber turned back around, "Why would I help you? You're an Epsilon. You come from a forest that's said to be cursed. Does that mean anything to you?"

"….No. Should it?"

"It means that if I were to let you travel with me, bad things would happen. I can't trust someone who's lived in a god damn cursed forest for all their life."

"I never enjoyed my life living there. Please take me with you."

"No, I travel alone."

"Alone? What kind of saber does that?"

"The same kind that doesn't beg for attention, or hell, even needs it."

Shira tried not to smirk at the irony that took place in those words, but the male saber saw her.

"What?"

"Nothing, so anyways, shouldn't you be in a pack?" Shira asks.

"A pack, are you kidding? Having to constantly take orders and have a higher in command saber breathing down your back to make sure you make absolutely no mistakes what so ever? No, it's really not the thing for me." He says.

"Well, that makes two of us." Shira says. She then notices that she doesn't know his name yet, so she asks.

"Diego." He tells her.

"What pack did you come from?"

"Delta."

It suddenly made much more sense to Shira. The Delta and Epsilon packs were vicious rivals with each other. But what didn't make sense was the fact that Diego still tried to attack her even though he said he travels alone. Could he still be a part of Delta? She didn't bother asking. Even more confusing was the fact that Diego could have killed her right then and there like he said earlier. So why didn't he? There were so many unanswered questions.

"So, you quit, you said?" Shira asks.

"Ya, why?" Diego asks back.

"Then what would the problem be if I were to travel with you?"

"I'm looking for something."

That was as far as Shira went. She didn't bother asking anymore. She was about to just walk away and cry herself to sleep knowing that nothing was left in life for her.

"If you really want to, you can travel with me. Just don't get all mushy on me. I'm not doing it for you. I'll need some help looking for that something."

Shira immediately turned around.

"Alright, thank you."

"It's getting dark. We should find some place to sleep for the night."

"Ok." Shira agreed. So they both walk off into the open plains in search of a cave to stay in for the night.

A/N:

So there it is. Chapter one. Sorry if there was some grammar errors, but I wanted to get his uploaded, because I'm curious on how it will do. But because of the Shira/Diego thing fading away,(sadly) it might not do that good, but we'll see. Please R&R.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title

StarFire Chapter 2

A/N

**Thank you 'fanficsftw' and 'ciana tl' for the reviews. I hope to make this story stretch out into a real story. I'm glad that this story is catching some people's attention, because the way I right is also the way I think. Anyways, here's chapter 2 for you guys.**

The outskirts of the Epsilon pack wasn't much more depressing as the forest itself. There wasn't much to see, and no one would bother to take the time to talk about it.

Diego and Shira continue to travel through the snowed on tall grassy plains of the island which unfortunately, took up the largest amount of the climate area.

Diego was always keeping his eyes forward to show Shira that he had no interest in helping her.

'What is this saber's problem?' Shira thought. 'I understand that he's from the opposite rival pack, but still, I never would have tagged along with him if he wasn't so good loo-' Shira stopped herself. 'Wait! What did I just say?! Shira, stop! Don't tell me your falling for the guy who literally tired to kill you!'

Shira looked at Diego who was still eyeing in front of him. She was afraid he was a mind reader. But that would be ridiculous. Still, she couldn't help but wonder.

Shira sighs, 'I'm probably just tired. I've been through a lot today. It's completely normal to start thinking ahead of yourself.'

Thinking about what she's been through brought back the gruesome image of Krystal. She still couldn't believe that she was gone. Shira was beginning to cry, but stopped herself.

'She would have understood why I left.' Shira told herself. 'That's the whole reason why the two of us were such great friends. We understood each other. And she would have definitely understood that it was fate's call that told her it was her time to leave the world.

Shira looked up into the sky, 'Where ever you are, if you're listening or not, Krystal, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

Now Shira was about to cry for good, but a strong tone of voice killed out the silence.

"What happened to you leg?" Diego asked looking back at her right leg.

Shira completely forgot about it. The fresh water from the river really numbed it up, and is still in the process of doing so. However, the blood on her leg was all crusted dry now, so she wouldn't have felt it anyways.

"Oh, I cut it when I tripped over a log. It must have had a knot in it or something."

"When did this happen?" Diego asked.

'Wow, is he really this concerned about me?' Shira thought. 'Most male sabers wouldn't care if my freaking head got chopped off and I was still alive to tell them about it. Or at least the ones I've been around at least. But Diego, he seems more concerned about me than any saber I've ever met. Of course, he's probably doing his best to hide it.'

"When I was getting out of the forest from the trouble I got into." Shira tells him.

"Well, I wish you could have told me that earlier."

"Ya, well, I wish you would've noticed it earlier." Shira said back.

Diego shook his head and smirked, "Did you try washing it in a river or something?" He asks.

"Ya, and that's when you jumped on me and pinned me to the ground. "Shira said.

"Hey! I said I was sorry, okay?!"

'So it was for hurting me he apologized for.' Shira thought. 'Wait, am I going soft for him, or is he going soft for me?' Shira thought and once again shook her head away from that thought. 'Agh! Pull yourself together! You're only doing this until you know what to do with you life!... But what if I never find that?' Just the thought of that made her more depressed by the second.

"Okay, well," Diego said trying to change the subject, "I guess if you're going to travel with me for a while, you're going to have to know a few things and a few rules." He says still keeping his eye sight straight ahead of him.

"Sure, I guess." Shira says.

"First off, as you already know, I'm not a part of any pack, same as you. Therefore we need to trust each other if things are going to work out smoothly."

"Why? What's the threat?" Shira asks.

"Don't you know of StarFire?"

"Very little. It's the definition of the unknown or the end point of all fear. No one knows what it is. It could be an object, or a feeling inside of us. It could even be a living creature." Shira explains.

"Ya, that's the basics of it. Good thing you know, cause I hate explaining things." Diego said.

"This made Shira laugh. She noticed that Diego still had a serious look on his face, so she immediately stops.

"So, uh, anyways, what does StarFire have to do with anything?" Shira asks.

"Nothing, I was just testing you to see if you knew. Like I said, you need to know a few things." Diego said with a smirk on his face.

That didn't amuse Shira at all.

Both sabers continue walking, not saying much, until after what felt like seven or eight hours, they came across a cave. It was up on a rocky cliff terrain. Both sabers look at each other and confirmed that that was where they were staying for the night.

They climb up the rocky cliff and enter the cave. No one was using it. That was a good thing.

"This'll do, right?" Diego asks.

"It's perfect. A lot better than always sleeping out in the snow by a fire that usually goes out in the middle of the night."

Diego nods his head and lies down. Shira does the same. They both lie there trying to go to sleep. A half an hour goes by and Shira hadn't gotten any shut eye. She figures that Diego is sleeping and turns her head to see, only to catch him looking at her. Diego quickly breaks the eye contact between the two of them.

Another hour goes by. It suddenly begins to get cold. It sent a shiver down Shira's back. She begins to shiver and buries her head in her crossed arms.

A minute or to go buy and she suddenly feels a warm sensation on the side of her. She peeks an eye to see if it was what she thinks it was, and sure enough, it was.

Diego's masculine golden body was up against Shira's, in the way of the cold breeze that was entering the cave. She didn't say anything, in fact it was the best feeling she's ever felt. Ever. She leaned tighter into his warm fur and nearly fell asleep right then and there when Diego spoke up.

"You warm enough?" He asks.

"Ya, thanks." She says trying not to sound too grateful.

"Anytime." Diego says back.

'Why is he doing this? I don't get this guy at all. A few hours ago he tried to kill me, and now he's doing pretty much the exact opposite. All in a few hours? It doesn't sound believable. Still, It's strange. I don't feel that depressed anymore. I guess it's the feeling of knowing that someone is still on your side. I don't remember the last time I felt like that. I guess with Krystal when I-' Shira stopped there. Once again, the thought of guilt re-entered her mind. Because of this, she began to cry. Loud enough for Diego to hear.

"Something wrong?" He asks looking at her.

"No, I'm just scared of what will happen." She says.

"Well, don't be. We're outlanders. We've got each others backs."

"Alright, so it's not that I'm scared." Shira says. "I just can't stop thinking about my friend, Krystal who was killed because of my carelessness." Shira finally lets out, still resting her head on Diego's shoulder.

"She'd understand." Diego tells her.

"No, she wouldn't. She knows it's my fault." Shira says, not wanting to accept the truth.

"Someone will. Someone must." Diego said.

Shira thought for a moment. 'What was he getting at? Someone must? Well ya, someone on this planet must see things the way I do. But I doubt it I'll ever run into such a creature in my life.'

"Like who?" Shira asks. Diego doesn't say anything. Instead, he gets up and walks to sleep in a different corner of the cave, leaving Shira alone for the rest of the night.

Shira was back in a depressing state. She couldn't stand the cold either. She couldn't help but admit it; she wanted to be in Diego's warmth for the rest of the night. She gets up and walks over to Diego, but didn't know what to say. She was about to just walk back over to her spot when Diego spoke up again, "I don't mind." Shira wasn't sure what he meant. He wasn't specific enough. She could only assume the best. She lied down next to Diego and leaned into his chest. Diego pulled his arm over Shira's side to keep her warm. Now, this was the best feeling that Shira has ever felt in her life. But she still couldn't help but wonder, is there more to just keeping her warm? She pushed those thoughts aside for now and gradually fell asleep during the complete bliss that night.

A/N:

**Thanks again for the reviews! That's the good news for me. The bad news is that finals are next week, so I probably won't upload the next chapter until winter break starts where I'll finally have all the time in the world to write the story. So expect a lot of chapters throughout winter break. And thanks again. Please R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title

StarFire Chapter 3

A/N

**Hey guys, sorry for not updating for a while, but like I said, finals were this week, and it's finally over! So now I can work on this over the week hopefully of nothing else gets in the way. Oh, and thank you 'fanficftw' for another review. Your awesome =), and thank you 'Guest 1' for the review as well. Here's chapter three. Enjoy.**

'What happened last night? I never knew such feelings existed inside of me. It's as if I were reborn as something completely different than the night before.' Shira woke up to what she was expecting to be one of the best days of her life. Free. All of her worries washed away in a matter of seven hours. To her side was Diego who was still heavily sleeping. Shira expected that once she fell asleep, Diego would just get up and sleep somewhere else. But he didn't, he was still there. 'Maybe he fell asleep first?' Shira thought. 'I don't think so, I would have remembered if he fell asleep or not. Then again, I'm just thinking in my little fantasy world here….again.'

Shira sighed and looked around at the dim cave with the sunlight gradually seeping into it. The heat from the sunlight reached Shira's paw and up her arm. She felt the warmth of it, and it reminded her of last night with Diego. Although she was pretty sure Diego was only doing all of this because of what he said before: "We've got each other's backs." The words repeated themselves through Shira's head.

Shira just laid there leaning into Diego's chest and feeling the rise and fall of it. A part of her wanted Diego to not wake up any time soon. She just wanted it to stay this way for a little while longer.

Time continued going by until Shira noticed that Diego was starting to twitch and growl. 'He must be having nightmares.' Shira thought. She was about to wake him up. 'Or, there's option two.' Shira started stroking Diego's tightened up shoulder up and down to make him at ease. This had two benefits, however. One, to calm Diego down from his nightmares. Two, use it as an opportunity to stay as comfortable as she ever will be able to for as long as possible.

She noticed Diego starting to ease down. She smiled and looked out of the cave and saw the sun sparkling up the snow on the ground.

She felt how Diego now felt no more stress from his nightmares. She looked back at him, only to get a big surprise. He woke up. Not only that, but Shira was still stroking his arm up and down. Diego was looking directly at her. She couldn't manipulate what kind of facial expression that Diego was giving her. It was too dull.

"Oh, um….." She mumbled while she immediately yanked her paw away from Diego. She looked in the opposite direction to hide her blushed face from Diego.

"You sleep okay?" Diego said. Shira got surprised by that. Diego was either trying to make the situation less awkward, or he didn't see those actions as any meaning at all. But either way, he was making it easier for her. Or he was trying.

"Uh, ya, sure." Shira responded. Diego nodded. As if timing were impeccable, both of their stomachs growled at practically the same time.

"You hungry, cause I'll go get something." Diego offers.

"Sure, I guess." Shira answers.

"You wanna come?" Diego asks. Shira wasn't really up to it. She's never hunted before. In fact, that was the one thing every pack has in common: Female sabers can't hunt. It made her irritated. 'Why is he asking me? Shouldn't he know that I don't know how to hunt? Wait, what's he getting at?'

"You mean…hunting?" Shira finishes.

"Why not? It won't hurt anyone except the animal we're hunting."

"Well, the thing is," Shira began.

"I'll teach you." Diego interrupts.

'Why would he do that? It's not a really good idea.' Shira thought. "Well, thanks but, isn't that kind of a bad idea? I mean, what if another pack member finds me hunting my own food alone? That's an instant death, isn't it?"

"Who said anything about hunting alone?" Diego says.

"What, you mean hunt…..together?"

"Well, how else would you learn?"He says.

"Alright, if it won't get in the way of something more important that you have to do." Shira answers.

The two sabers walk out of the cave and head towards a snowed in forest.

"Okay, so the first thing you have to do is inhale deeply to pick up a scent."

Shira listens and does what Diego tells her to do. She took in a deep breath to find a scent.

"I can't smell anything." She tells him.

"Try in a different direction." Diego advises her. Shira does just that and picks up on something.

"Hey! I got something! I think." She tells him excitedly. Diego sniffs the air to confirm if she was right or not, and she was.

"Ya, you're right. I think its antelope." Diego tells her. "That's a good thing, because they tend to be in a pack. If each of us could take down one, we'd both have a meal."

"Ok, so what's next?" Shira asks eager to move on.

"Ok, so sabers have a unique ability to capture a scent and keep it as long as desired to do so. It's a natural technique that doesn't require any teaching at all. Now, all you have to is find the direction with the strongest scent and head in that direction." Diego explained.

Shira sniffs around her and finds the strongest point. Diego was about to tell her what to do next, but instead, Shira sprints out in the direction the scent was coming from.

"Quick learner." Diego tells himself and sprints off after her.

Diego finds himself running through trees to keep up with Shira. He begins to notice that she isn't anywhere in sight. He stops and looks around.

"Shira?" He calls out. No answer. "Shira!" He tries again. He began to worry that she got lost and may never be seen again, but it's too early to jump to any conclusions. He was about to call a third time when he got pinned down by a sparkly gray figure.

"That's pay back for yesterday." Shira laughs. Diego could have easily knocked her off, but he didn't, and he didn't even know why he didn't.

Once Shira got off him, she tells him that she saw the antelope. The two sabers take off in the scents direction. They eventually come across the antelope. There's only one, which surprised Diego.

"You wanna try taking it down?" Diego joked.

"Ya right, I don't even know where to begin." Shira told him.

"Alright, I guess the best thing for you to do is watch and learn. Just watch what I do." And with that, Diego jumps up and tackles the antelope. It was that moment that Diego realized that he didn't even bother to look at how big the damn thing was. It was about twice his height. HE suddenly began digging his claws into it as the antelope tried swinging him off. Eventually he swung Diego off and he collided with a tree.

In the bushes, Shira saw the whole thing. Without thinking, she did her best to copy what Diego did and jumped out of the bushes and chased the antelope about twenty or thirty feet before she jumped again and pinned it down. Diego was laying by the tree and could do nothing but watch as Shira drilled her teeth into the antelope's neck and instantly killed it. Dead.

Diego got up and couldn't believe that Shira got it her first try. 'Beginners luck, I guess' Diego thought to himself as he walked towards Shira.

"How was that?" Shira asked.

"Is that even a question?" Diego says and smiles. "You did amazing."

If Shira thought that she was happy now, she just got happier. "Thanks. So, should we take it back to the cave?" She asks feeling complete hunger inside of her.

"Actually, there's a closer cave I came across when you decided to ditch me." Diego laughed as well as Shira.

"Then we go there, then?"

"We do."

Getting the huge antelope to the cave was as death as taking it down. In fact, even worse. Once they got it to the cave they immediately started eating at opposite sides of each other.

'Wow! I haven't eaten in almost three days! This is the best meal I've ever had. But….is it just the meal that makes it good, or is there something else? Well, whatever, I got food, that's all that matters right now. Still, it's funny how well things have worked out. I really feel like I haven't thanked Diego enough, or properly I guess.' Shira thought as she dug into the meat of the antelope.

Both of the sabers continue eating unaware that they were gradually getting closer and closer to one another. And eventually they were just shoulders apart when, out of all the luck, they both looked up to see each other. Right at that moment, the unexpected happened. Both sabers were touching each other lips to lips. They both got an immediate blush on their face as well as heat dancing wild throughout their bodies.

Both sabers pull away and look in opposite directions.

'STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?' Shira yelled at herself, 'Why did that happen? What great luck I had.' Shira wanted to just go to sleep hoping for a better day tomorrow, cause that's really all she could ever do.

"Uh, I', really-

"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking. But it was just an accident, alright?" Diego interrupts.

"Oh, uh, ok then." Shira says not knowing how to end the awkward conversation. "I guess I'll just get some shut eye then." She says and head to a corner in the cave.

"It's not even dark out." Diego says.

"I'm aware of the time." Shira says gloomily.

Diego sighs. "Alright then, good night."

As Shira laid there in the cave, she started to think like crazy, 'His lips. They were so soft. So smooth. What is with this saber that I can't stand about? It was an accident? Well, I kind of wish it wasn't.' Shira had to kick herself for thinking that. 'Enough Shira, you like him and you know it. So, just tell him that. You think all those things he did for you the first night had nothing to do with love? How could you be so shallow?' Shira was too exhausted to think anymore, so she laid there thinking about nothing but when her lips came in contact with his. Accident or not, it was amazing.

A/N

**Sorry if this chapter was a little rushed. I actually thought about this whole thing when I was going to sleep one night and thought it would work out for chapter three. Well, its 1:30 in the morning, so I'll upload this now and probably play some video games (or not). Anyways, thanks for the support, and if this chapter was kinda crappy, then I'll take my time on the next one. Other than that, Goodnight.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title

StarFire

A/N:

Wow, last chapter took up the majority of the reviews. I really appreciate the support and positive feedback I'm getting. Even if you didn't review but still enjoyed the story, that's enough for me. Again, thank you 'fanficftw'. And also thanks goes for 'KaylaDestroyer' and 'Diego X Shira' (I love your Dira stories too =D) as well as thanks going to 'Idontcaaare' and 'Andres02'. Okay, here is the next chapter. And seriously, thank you. It makes my life seem that much better.

"Shira! Wake up!" the familiar voice rang through Shira's head until she finally woke up to see Diego with a worried look on his face.

"What? What's wrong?!" Shira yelled out to him. Diego didn't answer her. Instead, the earth did that for her as it began to shake uncontrollably.

"There's an earthquake! We've gotta go! Now!" Diego told her.

"Without hesitating, both of the sabers took off out of the cave and sprinted across the open valley. It was the strangest way for Shira to wake up to. She looked to her right to see Diego running right beside her. Shira began thinking to herself.

'An earthquake? What bad luck! Hang on, bad luck? Wasn't that exactly what Diego was afraid about when he was debating whether or not to let me travel with him? So it's true then….. I'm cursed.' Shira suddenly stopped running leaving Diego to stop as well a few feet ahead of her.

"Shira! What are you doing?! We gotta go! Come on!" Diego yelled to her. Just then, The ground split open and separated the two sabers from eachother.

"Get away from me, Diego! I'm cursed! You'd have a better chance to survive without me!"

"What?! That's crazy! I'd never leave you!"

"Yes you would! Any saber would do that to me!"

"Well, I won't! And you know why?!" Diego yelled.

"Why?! Why would you even think about not leaving me?! Everyone hates me!"

"I don't! I love-

All of a sudden, the ground beneath Shira shattered sending her falling into the dark abyss within the Earth, gone forever.

Diego was shattered, he couldn't think, he couldn't move. He noticed everything going all white until it was completely blank and he blacked out.

"SHIRA!" Diego yelled jumping up from his spot in the cave where he and Shira fell asleep that night. He looked around, his heart and pretty much every muscle in his body pounding, and rested his eyes on Shira who was sleeping with her back facing away from the cave's wall.

Diego Gasped out a sigh of relief and collapsed to the floor.

"Thank god. It was just a dream." Diego said and looked back up at Shira. He remembered her saying how she was cursed in his dream. That shattered Diego , even in the real world. And at that moment, Diego felt something that he's been praying he would never feel. He felt depressed, defeated, suffering. He tried not to, but he couldn't help it, he started to cry.

"What's wrong, Diego?" An all too familiar voice spoke up. Diego looked up to see Shira awake and looking at him. He quickly wiped the tears out of his eyes and tried to make an expressionless face. It wasn't easy to his surprise.

"Nothing."

"It sure doesn't look like nothing. Can we just be honest with each other, or do you not trust me?"

'Of course I trust you.' Diego thought.

"Really, what's wrong?" Shira asked again.

"…I had…a….dream." Diego said the last word quietly.

"…okay, do you want to talk about it, if you want to?"

Diego looked at the ceiling than back at her.

"It seemed so real. There was an earthquake. And me and…" Diego stopped for a second, "This other saber, we were running as fast as we could." Diego looked up and could tell that Shira was listening very well. " And all of a sudden, we get separated from the earthquake, and that saber I was with fell into the earth caused by the earthquake." Diego finished and laid down.

Shira got up and lied down next to him.

"Did this have anything to do with you past?" Shira asked.

"No, I don't know where it came from. It didn't feel like a dream. I could think clearly, I could feel the wind and the vibration of the earthquake. It couldn't have been a regular nightmare. It just wasn't. It was too real."

"It was just a dream." Shira says resting her head on his shoulder. Diego got shocked at first, but he realized he needed all the support he could get, so he let her.

"Ya, it was just a dream." Diego said back.

"What do you mean?" Shira looked up and asked.

"Shira, I'll just come straight out truthful with you: It was you that was in the dream with me." Diego said and instantly regretted it.

"It was me?"

Diego sighed and nodded, "Ya, and once you fell into that abyss, I felt as though my life was…shattered." Diego said and rested his head on his other shoulder.

"Like life had no purpose without me?" Shira asked.

"In a nutshell, yes." Diego replied. He then looked at Shira directly in the eyes and she did the same to him. So many feeling were going through Diego at that moment, he couldn't even stop to think before he jumped on Shira and pressed his lips against hers.

Shira was motionless. She was in no way expecting that. She was still looking into his eyes Diego continued kissing her uncontrollably.

He released his lips with hers to speak, "Shira, I-

Shira interrupted him and switched positions so that she was on top. "I love you, Diego. I always did since the moment I laid eyes on you."

"Hey, that's my line." Diego smirks and lets Shira continue to kiss him. Words were clearly not enough to express what the two sabers felt for one another right now, and maybe even what they were doing right now wasn't enough, but the moment was what it was, and nothing was going to interrupt it.  
"Shira, I'll never leave you, I want you to stay with me. If that's what you want, of course."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Of course I'll stay with you. Otherwise I would have left by now."

"I'll always be there for you, Shira. That's what matters most to me, it's that you're happy as much as possible."

Shira started crying out of happiness and a few tears landed on Diego's face. "You don't have to do that for me." Shira said and rested herself on Diego's masculine body. Diego wrapped his arms around Shira to keep her warm. It just keeps getting better, this was the best feeling she's ever felt. The best one so far anyways, she thought.

'This is too good to be true! Out of everyone in the world to get the happiest life ever, it was me! I couldn't be happier! I owe it all too Diego! Which reminds me…' Shira looked at Diego once more.

"Diego, I've always forgot to say this. Thank you. Thank you for giving me a purpose in life. Thank you for giving me another chance. To live again."

"Not a single inch of doubt was going through me when I let you travel with me. It was destiny. I'm sure of it."

Both sabers continue to embrace each other's affection for one another.

"It's still hard to believe." Shira started.

"Hard to believe what?" Diego asked.

"How much of a softie you've become."

"Hey! Excuse me?! Softie?!... okay, you got me, I am becoming more open minded, I guess."

"That's okay. That's what I like about you most. Softie."

Diego would physically kill anyone who dared call him a softie. But Shira, it was a completely different story. It pretty much told him how much she loved him.

"Hey, Diego, I just thought of something, remember that first night when you laid against me to keep me warm?"

Diego smirked and already knew where this was going.

"Ya…" he says.

"Well, I was just curious, was that only to keep me warm? Or was there something else?"

"Shira, we both know the answer to that." Diego tells her.

"Which is?" Shira mocked.

"It was just an excuse to be as close to you as I could get."

"You're such a softie." Shira mocks continually.

"Ya, I'm you softie." Diego jokes to her.

"Ya, you're my softie."

He didn't know why, but those words sounded incredibly amazing.

"Okay, so, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Shira asks.

"Remember when I told you about StarFire?" Diego asks.

"Ya, why?"

"I need your help to find it."

"What, are you just saying you love me just so I'll agree to help you find something?"

"No! Of course not! Shira, I love you for who you are! I'm praying that you feel the same for me."

Shira kissed him again in the best way she could.

"Of course I do." She said after she was done. She gets off Diego and lays next to him and leans against him.

"I'm happy to hear that." Diego smiles at her. It was the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. A couple of minutes or two go by and the sabers comfort each other as they both think to themselves.

'This is EXACLTY what I wanted! Just to settle down and be loved by another saber! Diego, thank you. Thank you. Nothing else matters as long as you're here.

The silence of the forest around them made the moment that more amazing. But, the best part of all of this has got to be that she will wake up every morning and know that her mate was there to make her life that much more meaningful.

"Thank you, Diego." Shira says one last time.

"Like I said, anytime." Diego answers back.

Both sabers calmly fall asleep with the warmth that the other had to offer. If the world were to end the next day, it still wouldn't be enough to tear Diego and Shira apart. Right?

A/N:

Alright, chapter 4 typed and done! I feel as though I put a lot of extra dialogue in this chapter just to make it longer. Oh well, I hope this one doesn't seem rushed, cause I tried not to. Again, please R&R. I got a good idea for the next chapter, and therefore want to make it really good, and also therefore want to work on it for a couple days to make sure it's really good. So don't expect the next chapter to be here tomorrow. Okay, other than that, it's 11:30 at night, and I guess I'll go to bed now. Goodnight.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N

**Thanks for the reviews, again. This story, to me, is turning out pretty good. But, for this chapter, I'm a little afraid of the whole story getting messed up. You'll see why when you read it. Anyways, enjoy chapter 5. Or try to.**

The vision of reality was becoming clearer and clearer until her eyes were open completely and she was awake.

'Was it all a dream?' She thought and looked around her to see Diego on the opposite side of the cave. That explained all that was needed. It was all a dream. All of it. His lips against hers. His constant gesture of comforting her throughout the night. 'Unbelievable, just unbelievable.' she told herself and slowly got up and walked over to Diego and woke him up.

He yawns and says, "Something wrong?"

"No, I just never knew you were such a heavy sleeper."

"You seem a little... different today. Are you sure nothing's wrong?' Diego stands up and says.

'Nothing's wrong? Of course not, considering the fact that I was in my perfect little fantasy world last night only to have it killed by reality when I woke up. Ya, that's a whole lot of nothing.' Shira thought. "Of course nothing's wrong." She answered him.

Diego sighs and gets up. He steps outside to observe his surroundings. Shira follows him to the edge of a cliff and sits down. Shira sits next to him, but keeps her distance.

"How are you doing, Shira?" Diego asks.

'What does he mean how am I doing? Like as in a greeting, or as an actual question?'

"Okay. Why?"

"Because I want to know."

Shira sits there for a minute and thinks, 'He's acting as though he had a similar dream. Maybe he did.' Shira rolled her eyes once again. 'Again, me and my fantasy.'

"Really, is there something wrong? I'm always willing to help as much as I can." Diego tells her.

"For the last time, No! I'm fine!" Shira yells out and regrets. Diego got a hurtful look in his eyes. A very unnoticeable one, but it was there. Shira tries to apologize, "I'm sorry, it's just that-"

"Don't apologize." Diego says as he gets up and heads back to the cave.

'Apologize? Well, you did the same thing for trying to kill me. What difference does it make." Still, why was he trying to kill me? He said he left the Delta pack and-'

"Diego, wait!" Shira yells. Diego turns back around.

"What?" He asks.

"Can you please answer truthfully on what I'm about to say?"

"Depends, what's the question?"

"Are you still a part of the Delta pack?"

"Absolutely not! Why would you think that?!" He demands.

"Why would you still try to kill me even though you left your pack? Honestly, that doesn't make any sense at all."

Diego froze and didn't answer.

"That's none of your concern." He finally said.

Both sabers start thinking to themselves for a while, occasionally going in and out of the cave, until Shira spoke up, "Why are you looking for StarFire? Or is that also none of my concern?"

"I'm looking for it, because it is said to hold the answers to a single living creatures problems, okay? I need it." Diego bursts out.

"What problems could you have? So far, you really don't have any, to me."  
"Ya, but guess what. You're not me!"

"You say that like you know me."  
Diego was starting to lose patience. "What else are you hiding from me" He asks in a dark tone.

"From you? What are you hiding from me?"

"So this is what this is then. We've know each other for four days now, and we still can't trust each other? How could you think that?" Diego says.

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?!" Diego yells at her causing her to form tears in her eyes. That was enough to make Diego stop. He turned around and thought for a moment. He turned back to face Shira and said, "I'm sorry."

Shira leaned against him and rested her chin on his shoulder to show that she forgives him. Diego does the same and rests his chin on her shoulder.

"Things will work out, Shira. That's the one thing I'm sure about."

"You can't be completely sure." Shira tells him.

"Ya, that's what I'm afraid of."  
Shira just stayed in that position with Diego for a while until an unusual question crossed her mind, 'What is StarFire?'

"What doe you think StarFire is?" Shira says lifting her head from Diego's shoulder.

"It's, uh... difficult to say really. Some claim it's an object that is touchable while others claim it's a feeling inside of us. Some say it's an actual creature while others say it doesn't exist. So many different views on it. But one thing is curtain. The one who witnesses StarFire has had the most suffering endured on them."

Shira didn't fully understand or even believe any of it completely. "What makes you think you'll find it?" Shira asks.

"It won't hurt to try, right?"

"I guess not." She says looking at the ground, then out at the cliff's view, then back at Diego. "Where do you think we should look?"

"Actually, I was thinking to check the Epsilon pack. There's probably a-"

"NO!" Shira interrupts him, "I'm never going back to that place again! You don't understand what it was like!"

"...Yes I do." He says emotionlessly.

In Shira's mind, that brought back what Diego said that first night, "Someone will understand. Someone must."

At that moment, Shira looks Diego in his emerald gazing eyes. Diego tries to resist doing the same, but he couldn't.

"Well, if you really don't think it's a good idea, then we could try somewhere else. I've got a few other places in mind."

Another thought came to Shira at that moment, "We're outlanders, we've got each others backs." Those words that Diego also said that same first night echoed inside of Shira's head.

"...No, it's fine. Let's try the Epsilon forest." Shira says, making her decision.

"Shira, I don't want any more danger put into your life. If you really don't want to then please tell me." Diego says in a soft tone.

'He's so concerned about me all the time, even when I show him no respect what so ever. Maybe it's time to change that. Then again, there's a time and a place for everything.'

"I'm positive we should go there, alright?" Shira tells him.

"...Alright, so I guess if there's nothing left to do here, we should get going?"

"Ya. Let's go." Shira said

Retracing their steps, The two sabers head towards the direction of which the Epsilon pack exists.

Thoughts of doubts raced through Shira's mind in that time,'Maybe I shouldn't be doing this. What if the pack finds me? Then what? Well, I do have Diego with me. If he's telling the truth, then he has my back. And I'll do the same for him.'

"There's always time to stop and turn around you know?" Diego spoke up.

"No, you helped me find a purpose, I'll help you." Shira said.

"Helped? I thought I was still in the process of doing so." Diego said.

'Dammit! That came out wrong! But it's the truth, isn't it? Of course not!'

Shira thought to herself. "Uh, I meant you're still helping me." Shira says.

Diego nods his head and continues looking straight ahead while the two were traveling.

Suddenly, the two sabers here growling. The both look around and get in a ready position.

'What ever is trying to stop us will fail. I'm ready this time.' Shira tells herself while watching Diego's back while he does the same to her.

They couldn't pick up where it was coming from exactly. They eventually notice that the sound is coming from multiple directions, meaning that there is more than one enemy.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, six or seven massive saber tooth tigers jump out and knock Diego out cold.

"DIEGO!" Shira yelled trying to reach him, but failed in doing so when three of the sabers jumped on her. Shira struggled to escape, but it was impossible. Three sabers against one. She started noticing that she was losing fatigue from trying to escape until her vision went black.

Trees were coming into sight. A dim source of light was the most contrast of the blurry objects that were visible. Slowly, Shira's vision came into view and saw a large pack of sabers. All males. She also saw a fire set up in the middle of the huge gathering. She tried moving, but couldn't. She was tied up to a tree. The vines from the forest were enveloping her will to move. She looked around. Thousands of death starring eyes looking at her. Too her left was Diego who was tied to a thick tree branch, dangling unconsciously. She tried yelling out his name, but saw that her mouth was also sealed with a thick green aspen leaf.

"Don't bother, he can't here you, nor would he anyways." An even more deep voice than Diego said. Shira looked forward to see a Tall saber who had the same fur as Diego.

"I'm Gisach, leader of the Delta pack. That disgrace of a saber you were with is a traitor. And all sabers know that treason is punishable by death, along with any sabers involved in that treason. That would be you." The leader said.

Shira tried speaking again, but forgot that her mouth was tied shut.

"Now," Gisach started, "Any ideas of how to punish them? Anyone?"

Quickly, ideas were thrown out from the crowd, all very cruel and unusual.

Shira panicked like crazy. She needed Diego to wake up. She was positive that he could free himself. But looking at the circumstances, there was clearly no hope what so ever.

While the pack was busy with arrangements, Shira noticed something moving in the shadow of the forest. She couldn't make out what it was, but it was fast as hell. It clearly stood on two legs. She noticed it coming around the huge gathering and making it's way towards the tree Shira was on. It took the leaf off of Shira's mouth. Shira could identify the creature. It wore a leather outfit with a hood, covering it's face. It also had a wide arrange of weapons including a bow, a dagger, and a few throwing stars, all made of wood, yet very sharp.

'Can you help me?' Shira whispered, making sure that the gathering doesn't notice. The mystery creature didn't answer, instead he looked back and could tell that the pack had made a decision, so the leather figure quickly tied the leaf back around Shira, and immediately climbed up the tree that she was tied to.

Shira looked ahead to see the sabers bringing down Diego, and he suddenly awoke.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Let go of me!" He yelled.

"Sorry, old friend, I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Diego recognized the voice, "No. Gisach? Please, I only-"

"There is nothing to explain, you swore under oath to never commit treason, and what did you do?"  
As Gisach was busy with Diego, Shira looked up to see that the strange figure was no where in sight.

'Where did he go?' Shira asked herself.

"And for your punishment," Gisach finished, "You will be clawed by our best warriors until dead."

"NO! STOP! I'M SORRY! DON'T DO THIS!" Diego said, tears forming in his eyes.

Gisach laughed, "Oh, isn't amazing how much someone can change when faced with death? But this saber lacks pride. You four, you may claw when ready." Gisach told his best warriors.

The first strike came without warning as one by one, Diego was getting slashed in the back, unable to defend himself for he was tied up.

Shira could do nothing but watch in horror. 'NO! NO! NO! STOP! DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! I NEED HIM!' Shira yelled out in her thoughts. She was trembling uncontrollably, breathing heavily, and was feeling nauseous from it all. It was over.

Blood dripping down Diego's back, he could hardly keep his eyes open. Just then, Shira noticed a saber collapsed to the ground. Blood dripping out of him. She then noticed an arrow stuck into him. And one by one, multiple sabers got the same thing.

"What?! What's going on?!" Gisach yelled looking around for the attacker.

Out of nowhere, the same figure from before jumped in, slashing away at all the still alive sabers. Amazingly, he was winning. Making his way to Diego who was dying from massive blood loss, he cut the vines that were sealing him with his dagger, and with amazing strength picked him up and pulled out a device from his pockets. He shot it into the air. A hook came out of the end and it grabbed on to a tree branch that was high in the sky. It then lifted the figure and Diego into the air and onto the tree branch. Diego was carefully set down.

The figure jumped back down, slashing at the remaining enemies. The group was now defeated, along with Gisach, dead on the floor. Running over to Shira, the figure untied her and took his hood off for a cool breeze to hit his face. Shira made out her rescuer. A human. He had long blonde hair with blue eyes. He wore brown leather clothing all around him. He looked like one of the most well equipped hunters Shira has ever seen.

"Why are you doing this?" Shira said with tears in her eyes.

The human didn't answer, and instead lifted her up and took her into the trees with the same device as before.

He took her to Diego who was dying. The human put Shira down.

"We need to get him to a river as soon as possible." The human finally spoke.

Shira got shocked . She has never heard a human talk. She never new that she could understand humans. Come the think of it, she never actually thought about trying.

Trying to save as much time as possible, she nodded.

The human picked Diego up and jumped off the tree. Shira did the same.

"We need to get out of here. More sabers are sure to appear." the human informed.

With that, they take off into the woods and make it out to the same river where Shira first met Diego.

The human lies Diego in the river and cups his hands in the water and pours it on Diego's back

Shira lays into Diego to comfort him."Everything is gonna be fine, Diego." She repeatedly says.

Diego laid there, fighting to stay alive.

"Who are you, and why are you doing this?" Shira asks the human.

The human looks up and looks at her straight in the eyes.

"I'm StarFire."

A/N:

**Well, that took long enough, right? Be that as it may, this chapter was a lot of fun typing up. Something different. Anyways, the reason I'm afraid this chapter won't do well is because of the fact that a human appears in it. But that's just me and my own little world. Anyways, Please R&R. It's going on 12:30 A.M., so I'm getting some shut eye. Good Night.**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N:  
**Wow, the story just hit 20 reviews. Thank you everyone who favorite, reviewed, or just enjoyed the story. I'm really enjoying where this story is going. But then again, this story would have never existed if my bro never fixed my PC, so I've got him to thanks I guess. Putting that aside, here's chapter 6.**

"StarFire? You mean the myth? The legend?" Shira asks disbelieved in the humans claim.

"No, I mean the actual thing. I exist, don't I." The human said.

"Ya, but you have no proof that your StarFire."

"What? That wasn't enough proof back there?"

Shira continued stroking Diego's shoulder up and down to help comfort him, "Alright, so you've got some fighting skills in you, but it's got nothing to do with the end of all fear or the definition of the unknown. That's what StarFire is."  
"I think I'd know that." the human said. Shira sighed and looked back down at Diego.

"You know, for someone who just got their life saved, you sure don't show much respect. Would it kill to say thanks?"

"I'm just... scared. You don't know what I've been through." Shira said quietly, resting her head on Diego who was resting.

"Of course I do. Why else would I be here?" He said, looking down at her.

"What do you mean?" Shira asked. It suddenly hit her, If this human really is StarFire, and if what Diego said was true about StarFire only appearing before the living soul who has endured the most suffering, then it makes sense to why he appeared before her. But still, could she have suffered more than anyone else in the world? It doesn't sound believable.

"I am StarFire. If there were to be any truth in this world, it's that." He said walking away.

"StarFire!" Shira called out. He turned back around.

"Yes?" He asks.

"Where are you going? Your not leaving are you?"

"Doesn't really seem like I'm wanted here. Besides, I'm sure you've got this under control." StarFire says walking off.

"I'll be right back." Shira says to the still sleeping Diego as she leans down and kisses him on the forehead and gets up. She catches up with StarFire, who begins playing with his bow.

"Hey! Wait! I'm sorry, I'm just scared, like I said. I would really like all the help I could get." Shira says walking besides him.

"Ya? And I would really like all the respect I could get. But by the looks of things, it ain't gonna happen." StarFire says walking ahead of her.

Shira stops, "Well, thanks for your help. I see your too busy with other things to keep a dying saber alive." Shira says and turns around hiding her tears.

StarFire stops, but doesn't turn back around. He just stands there staring off into the distance. He looks down at his bow, which is crafted with purple heart wood, making it very flexible without the risk of snapping in half.

"Let me show you something." He says, reaching into his pockets. What he pulled out drew Shira's attention because it was so contrast.

"What is that?" Shira says, but kind of had an idea of what it was.

"It's hard to explain, really. This is; in a literary form: StarFire."

Shira gave a confused look.

"Uh, actually, we should probably get back to were your friend is. Make sure he's still alive, alright?" He tells her.

'Damn! I completely forgot!' Shira yells at herself. "Let's go then!" Shira says heading back.

StarFire and Shira return to see Diego awake, but still badly injured and fatigued. "You sure he'll be okay?" Shira asks.

"Ya, he'll be fine. I've been in worse." He says checking Diego's pulse. He then turns to Shira, "So, as I was saying," he says pulling back out the object he had before, which caught Diego's attention.

"What is that?" Diego asks with his head up.

"Your in better condition than I thought, Tiger." he says with a grin on his face, "I don't believe I ever got your names." He said looking at both of them.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Shira. And this is-"  
"Diego." Diego finishes for her.

"Good to meet you. I'm StarFire." He says reaching out a hand to Diego. Diego doesn't shake his hand in return. He finds it hard to believe that this human is the actual legend.

"Okay, of all seriousness, what is that?" Diego asks looking at the bright object in StarFire's hand.

"Oh, this is StarFire. You see, I wasn't intentionally fated to be StarFire. It just sort of happened. Finding this, my life was turned around, and oddly enough, I could feel that I was suppose to do something. And that something was to help the one in most suffering." StarFire explained.

"And who would that be?" Diego asks him and looks at Shira.

"I can tell you already know the answer."

"So it is Shira then." Diego says, a tad of disappointment in him.

"What's wrong, Diego?" Shira asks moving closer to him.

"Nothing, it's just that after all of these years of searching, it turns out I'm not the one that has been chosen.

"Oh, I see what's going on here." StarFire says, sitting down. "Since Shira has had the most suffering in her life, She will get eternal happiness instead of you, Diego."

Diego looks down in sadness.

"However," StarFire spoke up, "Whom ever is chosen is also allowed to chose someone whom he or she knows to also be given this reward."  
"Wait, you mean-" Diego starts.

"Yes, buts it's not my decision, it's hers. And Shira, I'll give you all the time you need to think about this." StarFire says, getting up.

"Wait, how do I know your telling the truth?" Shira asks.

"What more do you want me to prove? You'd rather StarFire not exist at all? If I were you, I'd want to believe StarFire exists if I were to see him or her." StarFire says while heading away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Diego yells out to him.  
"I'm gonna go get some firewood for the night. You two be of help and make a shelter in the snow, alright? I'll be back soon." He says, and disappears into the dark night.

"What if he doesn't come back?" Diego asks.

"He will. I trust him." Shira says smiling.

"Whatever you say." Diego says and sighs, "Look Shira, I'm... really sorry for bringing you into, you know, all of that. With the Delta pack and everything. I swear, I had no idea they-"

"Hey, it's alright." Shira tells him smiling, "Seeing you alive keeps me happy enough."

"Is that all it really takes?" Diego says smiling as well.

Both sabers at the same time get a chill down there spines.

"Oh ya! He wanted us to build a shelter." Shira said getting up.

"Oh, right. So, what kind do you think he had in mind?"

"How about a trench in the snow. It is pretty deep. And this blizzard isn't helping at all."

"What ever you want." Diego says. They both start forming a trench with their claws until it hit to where the grass became visible.

"Okay, the snow is packed enough, we should be able to dig caves in this." Diego said, "I'll make one on the right for me, you make one on the left."

"Make my own?" Shira asked, "Can't we both stay in the same one?" Diego knew just as much as Shira that it was an excuse to to be with him, so of course, how could he deny it?

"...Alright, help me make this one then." Diego says as he starts clawing away at the snowed wall.

Time let the work go by incredibly quickly. The two sabers were done in no time flat. Inside the cave, it was really warm. Both sabers felt like they never wanted to leave as they sat down on the uncovered grass.

An hour went by, and StarFire still hasn't returned.

"Do you think he's okay?" Diego asks.

"Okay? You didn't see how he killed off that group of Delta sabers."  
"What!? He actually killed them? Even Gisach?!"

"Ya, why?" Shira asks.

Diego could almost feel as though a chain detached his leg from the trapped and feared world he lived in. He was free. No more worries of the Delta pack hunting him down. They were dead. All thanks to StarFire. He couldn't help but smile, and Shira did the same.

"That's... great!" Diego said, resting his head and relaxing his shoulders. He also noticed that his wounds didn't pain him as much anymore.

Just then, a dim source of moonlight came into the cave and reflected off of Diego's masculine golden body.

'Wow! I've never seen him look that good before! He has to be purposely trying to look that good! I just can't take my eyes off him. That's it, I need to ask him, I need to know. But don't make it to obvious. Let him figure out what you mean.' Shira thought to herself.

"...Diego."

"Yes?" Diego asked.

Shira fought back for a second, "...Do you regret letting me travel with you?"

Diego didn't answer. He turned the other way and sighed. Shira knew it was no use. It never was. There never was a chance. That dream meant nothing. Nothing at all.

"Not one strand of regret entered me the moment I said you could travel with me, Shira. Not one." Diego finally says.

Shira looked back up at Diego who was now eying her as she was to him.

"Really?" Shira asked.

Diego nodded. Shira felt such a strong feeling inside of her, "I never had any regrets joining you either, Diego." Shira said, getting up and sitting next to Diego. Both of the sabers continue looking into their Sapphire and Emerald eyes.

Diego suddenly had a grin on his face, "Shira, thanks for that kiss on the forehead, earlier." He said mockingly.

'Oh, he wasn't, was he?! Was he awake when I did that?!' Shira thought as she turned her face to hide her blush, "No it's not what it looked like. I was just so... uh... scared, and I, well, just...felt so sorry for... you, and-"

Shira was interrupted as Diego leaned forward and pressed his lips into hers and started stroking her shoulder up and down.

'What is he doing?! More importantly, what are you doing!? You've been waiting for this for a week now! And your having doubts about it?!' Shira thought as she slowly loosened up and relaxed herself as she continued to let Diego comfort her in the most amazing way she's ever felt.

Diego finally let's go, "Was it all just for feeling sorry?" Diego said smiling with a blush on his face.

'He's not use to this, I can tell, yet he started this whole thing.' Shira thought. Now, Shira leaned forward and started kissing Diego back.

Neither one of the sabers have ever felt more calm, happy, and comforted in all their life than they were right then and there. As the night continued to pass by, they never stop showing affection for one another. For an entire week, they've been holding in all of these emotions, and now, they're finally let out. And the result is of no surprise.

Both sabers gradually fall asleep holding onto each other and swore to never let go. And if Shira only knew one thing in the world, it wasn't a dream.

A/N:

**Chapter 6 done and done. This chapter was pretty fun to write. Something I've noticed, every chapter I write is either fun to read or fun to write. So far, it hasn't been both. But as I've been told, I should think more positively about my work, so I can with all honesty say, this chapter is pretty damn good. As always, thanks for the reviews and please R&R. Thanks. **


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N:

**Hello everyone, it took me some thinking to come up with this next chapter, but all in all, it should turn out okay. And of course, thanks for the reviews and support, otherwise I'd have no motivation to continue. Or maybe not, I could care less on how many reviews I get, as long as I enjoy writing it. Okay, lets get chapter 7 done with.**

Shira woke up to the sound of foot steps. The cave was pitch black, and she remembered the entire night earlier. She looked to her side to see Diego still wrapping his arms around her. 'It wasn't a dream this time.' Shira said, and at that moment, she felt as happy as she ever could be. Just being in his warmth and knowing that there was a meaning to it made it even better than that first night they met.

Shira started stroking Diego's side for a while until she heard the footsteps getting closer. She already had an idea of who it was.

A loud noise came as she saw a pile of wood hit the ground of the trench, making snow spread everywhere.

"Damn! This was hell getting here!" A familiar voice said as Shira saw leather shows touch the trench floor.

StarFire started taking pieces of the wood out and setting them in place to start a fire, until he turned to see Shira who was still stroking Diego's side up and down.

"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?" StarFire said as he began to get up.

"Not really, actually." Diego said, who just woke up to the sound of the wood hitting the ground.

"Hey, your awake?" Shira said smiling down at him. Diego started to stiffen up at first. He still wasn't completely use to this kind of thing, but looking into her eyes made those problems wash away.

"Sorry it took so long." StarFire said as he began lighting the wood with two rocks.

"For what? The Fire?" Shira asked.

"Ya. It wasn't easy when the only forest that was near by was the Epsilon forest.

Just hearing the word made Shira stiffen. "You mean... the one that's-"

"Cursed, ya. The strange thing is, it really took an affect on me this time. Usually when I go in there, a few strange things happen, but this time a was at risk of being killed." StarFire said, remembering what happened. Shira and Diego look at each other and back at StarFire. "I could feel obnoxious voices, high pitched sounds, and screaming. I thought that I was hearing things, but I soon realized that it came from my head, and I couldn't get those sounds out."

"Wow, that doesn't sound good." Diego said still wrapping his arms around Shira.

"That wasn't the worst part." StarFire said shaking his head. "After about fifteen minuted of that endless torture, I started seeing these figures. I thought at first that it was you two, but..." StarFire stopped there.

"Hey, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to." Diego tells him.

StarFire looks up and starts to relax. "I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. There were like fifty of them. Closing in on me. Then all at once, they pounced on me and gave me the worst feeling ever. It's just... too hard to explain. One things for sure, I need to find a way to get rid of what ever is in that forest that's causing this."

"StarFire! You nearly got killed in there! Going back in? That's just... suicide." Shira told with worry in her words.

"I don't think they were trying to kill me. Just scare me. But that's not the point." He said. Done talking, he finished up the fire and sat down next to it.

"The only thing that matters is that you two are safe. If killing that forest is what it takes, then I'll do just that."

"Well, then I'm helping too." Diego tells him.

"Diego, No! This is crazy. You can't be serious." Shira jumped up, giving him a worried look.

"Actually," StarFire spoke up, "I was kind of thinking that you could help me."

"Me?!"

Her?! Why?" Diego asked.

"Because, by the color of your fur, your from the Epsilon pack, right?"

"I use to be." Shira said, tired of answering that question.

"Well, that's besides the point. What I'm saying is, since you were born in that forest, the curse does minimal effects on you, if any."  
"So your using me?" Shira said gloomily.

StarFire sighs, "I really don't like lying, so I'm just gonna nod and say yes."

Shira rolled her eyes, and turned to Diego, "You think it's a good idea?"

"Don't tell me your actually thinking about doing it?" Diego says hoping to get the right answer in return.

"...I'm not sure. I really don't want you or I to get involved in any of this." Shira tells him.

"Well," StarFire says getting up, "I never asked either of you in the first place. You brought that up on your own. I'm not forcing you or anything. This is kind of my problem anyways."

"Your problem?" Diego interrupts, "How is any of this your problem?"  
StarFire doesn't say anything for a couple seconds.

"Um... I, uh..." he says trying to think of an excuse, or better yet, get out of the whole subject, but after all, he really hated lying. It just didn't feel right to him.

"Alright, you got me." He says pulling out the same object as before. It was a very contrast crystal stone. It pretty much lit up the whole cave on it's own.

"This object is the reason why the Epsilon forest is cursed. Ever since I obtained it, that forest just hasn't been the same."

"So, it's like a guarded treasure in an ancient temple or something?" Shira asked.

"Exactly. Except, I didn't find this in a temple or anything, it was in the place where the most suffering was first endured" StarFire sat back down to explain everything he could.

"I'll start from the beginning. I remember first waking up on this island. I didn't know where I was, or where I came from, or who I was. It was like I was just born, but I was still capable of walking and everything like that."

"You just woke up here? No idea how you hot here?" Diego said, not really believing it.

"Hard to believe, but yes. So, when I woke up, I instantly realized that I was gonna have to survive on my own. So I make some weapons, build shelter, all of the needs in life for survival I pretty much had. And that's when it happened."  
"The stone?" Shira asked.

"Ya, one day I went out in to the forest, and as I was chopping down some trees, I could have sworn that I heard something. As the tree fell, I saw it. The stone. I picked it up and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I've never seen anything like it before. That's also when I saw a really interesting thing happening. There was this polar bear,"

Shira instantly got the flash back of that night that she met Diego, right before she met him.

"And, it had something in it's grip. A saber tooth tiger. It actually looked a lot like you." StarFire said looking at Shira.

"...Was there another saber there by any chance."

StarFire didn't answer at first. He was trying to piece the puzzle together and finally got it. Shira was the other saber that he saw that day.

"That was you, wasn't it?" He asked.

Shira didn't answer.

"I'm not gonna apologize. You know better than anyone else that it doesn't help anything." And with that, StarFire got up and walked out of the cave.

"Hey, where are you heading off to again?" Diego calls to him.

"I don't know, where ever my feet take me. I'll come back, unless that's not what you want."

"That's ridiculous." Diego says.

StarFire nods and once again disappears into the unknown.

Diego sighs and sees Shira walk up beside him, brushing her fur against his and rubbing her head against his neck.

"Just give him some time, alright?" She tells him.  
"It's not him I'm worried about, it's you."

"Why me?"

"Have you seen how dangerous this island has become? I nearly got killed the day before when the Delta's found us. And for all I know, something could happen to you."

"Diego, as long as we're together, nothing bad is going to happen."

"I hope so. I'll never let anything bad happen to you, Shira. I want you to know that."

"Thanks, softie." She tells him, remembering her dream that night when she called him that. It was a good nick name for him, and she couldn't help but say it for real to him.

"Softie? Where did that come from?" He says smiling at her.

"Oh, no where. It fits you perfectly, doesn't it? Your my softie."

'Wow, those words sounded so amazing! When she says them, anyways. I'm her softie? Now that's something I'll smile to any day.'

"It's what I like about you most, your always open minded." She tells him.

"If you say so." He says, still smiling at her.

The two of them were so lost in one another, that they didn't notice how cold it was outside, so they quickly get back in the cave that they dug, and sat down near the fire that was amazingly still going.

Both of them lay down close to each other and quickly wrap each other up with their bodies.

"I'll never get tired of this." Diego says, stroking Shira's neck and shoulders.

"Of course you won't, your a softie." Shira says teasingly.

"Hey, if I'm gonna have a nickname, then you should too."

"Okay, like what?" Shira asks playfully with a smile on her face.

"Like...uh..." Diego tries to think of something, but just couldn't find the perfect word. 'Something that describes her in one word.

"Ya, I thought so." Shira says still smiling.

"Alright, you win Kitty." Diego says smiling too.

"Kitty? Where did that come?" She asks.

"What? You always act so innocent all the time, kind of what a cub, or 'kitten' would do?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Shira says not admitting how true it was.

"Fine, but that's what I'm calling you, Kitty."

"What ever, softie." She says back.

Diego starts purring to the sound of that word. Shira hears him and starts purring as well.

"Ya, that proves that your a softie."

"And that proves that your a kitty." They both laugh and start nuzzling each other until Shira thought of something.

"Diego, is it still none of my concern about you and the Delta pack?"

Diego sighs, "Look Shira, I'm telling the truth when I say I wasn't part of the Delta pack when I first met you. I wasn't."

"Then why did you attack me?"

"Because I still disliked the Epsilon pack. But you? It's a completely different story. I couldn't hurt you. I just couldn't. And you know why."  
"Ya, I do."  
"Diego leans up and kisses Shira's lips with his and pulls her head closer to his.

"It's because I love you." Diego says as he lets go.

"Hey, don't interrupt." Shira says smiling as she leans down to continue what they had starting, gradually falling asleep listening to nothing but the purring that they had going on, and the beats of there hearts.

'Ya, I could get use to this.' Diego says as he slowly closes his eyes to sleep. \

A/N:

**Alright, another chapter out of the way. I'm not really sure how many more chapters I'm gonna put into this. It's not like I plan these sort of things out. I just write down whatever pops into my head. But I'm always satisfied with the way these stories turn out. Hopefully in the future, my writing skills will increase. Or not. I don't know. So please R&R, and goodnight. I don't think I'll make another story or chapter for a couple of days. I need to get back into a regular sleep routine again. Going to bed at 4:30 in the morning and waking up around 12 in the afternoon isn't that normal to me.**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer:  
I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N:

**Sorry for the long wait since chapter 7. ( Ya, 3 days is long) But since I've had three days of thinking, I should have plenty of ideas for the upcoming chapters. Well, to tell the truth, I don't. Too many other things have been getting in the way lately, but I'll see how this works out anyways.**

Waking up to a similar morning as the one before, the still tired tigress looked over her to see Diego laying beside her with his right arm over her. 'Everything is turning out so perfect.' Shira thought, continually stroking Diego's side.

'Wow, no matter how many times I'll do this, I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.' She thought, eying Diego who was still asleep, and she was sure that he was. She leaned closer into him, and buried her head in Diego's neck, causing him to wake up.

Diego gave out a big yawn, and looked around the cave until he rested his eyes on Shira. He jumped at first, still not use to living this way.

"Oh, sorry." He says starting to relax. "You sleep okay?"

"You don't have to keep asking me that. You know what the answer is."  
"Ya, but I want to hear it from you." Diego answers, smiling at her, once again causing Shira to smile as well.

"Okay? I slept more than okay. I've been sleeping better every night ever since I met you."

Diego didn't respond. He just kept smiling at her and exploring her sapphire eyes, the same she did to him. Neither of them said anything for a long amount of time, until something got on Shira's mind.

"Do you think StarFire is okay?" She asks looking at Diego.

"You really seem to worry about that human. Why is that?"

"Why?! He saved both of our lives! And he doesn't ask for anything in return. All he cares about is for the two of us to be safe."  
"Why is that?" Diego asks, still not getting the whole story.

"I think he knows that we're mates." Shira says and instantly realizes that she used the wrong word for that last part.

"What? Mates?!...Shira, I think-"  
"Sorry! That came out wrong!" She says trying to back herself up. She thought about that subject a couple of times, but since Diego is more new to this kind of thing, it's no surprise that he gets worked up over it.

"Listen, Diego sometimes things just-"

"No, stop. Listen, I think it's best that we go slowly on this. We're not being rushed or anything." Diego says interrupting her.

"Slowly? When I was still in a pack, male sabers were hitting on me from every corner of my eyes."  
"Well, that's the whole point. We're not in a pack, now are we?"

Shira didn't know how to react. She felt so stupid that she never realized that before. They weren't in a pack anymore, which means it's their rules, and their rules only.

"No, we're not." Shira said, which told Diego everything he needed to hear.

Done talking for now, since both sabers were still extremely tired, they go back to comforting each other, not caring about the time.

Eventually, they started to play wrestle with each other until Diego pinned Shira down with him on top.

"Hey Shira, I just thought of something." Diego says smirking.

"What is it?" Shira says ready to play this game again.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"No, I don't think you have. In fact, why haven't you?" She says playfully.

"Well, because I think now is an appropriate time to."

"Okay, well..." She says waiting for his answer.

Diego sighs, "Shira, everything about you is perfect to me. Your fur color, you eyes, your lips, those two earrings on your right ear. Where did you get those anyway?" He asks out of curiosity.

"Oh, these? It's a long story."  
Diego lets out a small laugh, "Well anyways, the way you eat, the way you sleep, your personality, everything. It's just so perfect."  
Shira started forming tears in her eyes.

"But the best thing about you that tops everything else is how you understand me. You never make fun of anything I say or do. I can be myself around you without the fear of embarrassment. That's the best part about you."

"What about calling you a softie?" Shira says smirking.

"Who said I ever had a problem with that, kitty?" He says teasingly.

"No one. Who said I had a problem with being called kitty?"

"No one. Is that a problem?"  
Shira laughs at how intimidating he was being, "No. now can we end this, please?" She says as she starts to laugh. Never has she felt so happy. The second Diego wakes up every morning just makes the day that much more amazing.

"Stop what? Me pinning you down?"

"No, I'm fine with that." She tells him.

"Then what do-" Diego is interrupted as Shira pulls his neck down to her and kisses him on the lips and keeps it that way. Diego relaxes and rolls over to let Shira be on top. Both sabers refuse to let go of each other. It probably would've stayed that way if their stomachs didn't growl at once again, the same time.

"So, how about another hunting lesson." Shira asks.

"Sure, but how about you teach me this time. I need to know how to not get thrown off of the prey. Clearly I screwed that up last time."

"Ya right, get your own meal, why don't ya?"

"Fine by me."

Both sabers get up and walk out of the cave and out of the trench.

"Alright, should I pick out a scent or-"

"Uh, Diego." Shira says looking behind him. Diego looks as well and sees a figure going into the Epsilon forest.

"Was that StarFire?" He asks, turning to Shira.

"I'm not sure. I'll go see."

"Hey! If your going, I'm going with you." Diego says walking in front of her.

"No, that forest is cursed, remember? Only I can withstand it's tricks." Shira says walking off.

"But you've been away for a while. Who knows how powerful it's become. Did any of StarFire's descriptions seem familiar to you?"

"...Alright, if you think it'll be better that way."  
The sabers start entering the forest. 'Nothing strange has happened. Maybe it was StarFire's imagination, if he had one. He is a bit out there.' Shira thought to herself.

She looks around to see that Diego wasn't there.

"Diego? Diego!" Shira yells. She looks around herself, suddenly noticing her vision getting all wave-like. She felt dizzy, nauseous, and sick. Her vision was becoming more contrast. All of her surroundings were just fading into the colors pink, yellow, and green.

As if that torture wasn't enough, she started hearing voices in her head. High pitched laughter, and it just kept getting louder. That's when she saw it. The figure. The same one that she followed into the forest, and it kept getting closer to her. Shira tired turning away and running, but she couldn't. She tried closing her eyes, but she couldn't. It was like a dream, and she couldn't control her actions. She fell to the floor, shaking her head to rid of all the torture that was either dwelling inside of her, or outside of her. She tries yelling for help again, but notices that she can't even hear herself.

The figure stood at about eleven feet tall. It wasn't clear of what it was exactly. Shira's mind was too blurry at the moment.

Feeling herself being grasped by a giant hand, she struggles to release herself, as she looks into the thing before her. Still too blurry to see, but it was definitely not of this world. It opened what seemed to be it's mouth and created the most disturbing, and most irritating sound that Shira has ever hear, and she could do nothing but scream and cry. She felt her very life and energy being taken away.

When things seemed as though they could not get any worse, everything stopped. Everything. She finds herself suddenly in the grasp of two hands carrying her, As well as a blazing golden figure beside her. She was still moving, meaning that who ever was holding her was running.

Finally, she sees a light, and could tell that she was out of the forest. Her vision starts coming back to her, and felt herself being placed by a fire.

"She's... still alive?!" Was all she could hear, until she fell into a deep sleep.

_"Do not hesitate. When the time comes. Just act."_

_ "When the one you love puts you down, you must forgive him with all your heart._

Voices were heard inside of herself as she slept. But the one that stood out most was:

_"His will is strong. His power is forever. This being can not only kill those who are good, but can also turn those who are good into evil. Never give in, trust your instincts."_

And just like that, she woke up. Her vision suddenly came into view, looking up into two emerald green eyes.

"Shira! Your okay!" Shira was welcomed by the warmth of Diego;s fur as he laid down beside her and cuddled her into his fur. She also saw StarFire, sitting at a distance, sharpening his dagger.

"Shira, I was so worried! I didn't know where you went, and- it was just all my fault. I'm so sorry."

"Diego, what... happened?"

"So, your memory hasn't been damaged either," StarFire said getting up and walking over to them, "That's good, to say the least."

"But, what happened? You were right. The forest isn't the same." Shira informed him.

"Ya, and a strange thing too. Most who go into there don't come out alive. Who ever is doing this has the power to kill through one's own fear. That's exactly what it was trying to do to you, Shira."

"I don't really understand." Shira said, still letting Diego bring her into his warmth.

"Well, another strange thing is that if someone does happen to escape, their memory has been known to just vanish, not remembering anything. But you? You're either extremely lucky, or there is some connection between you and that forest. Either way, the important thing is that your safe. So, just please try not to put yourself in danger again, alright."

"I'll try." Shira answered.

"So, she could have not remembered a thing, even about me?" Diego asked.

"Ya, she could have, but she didn't." StarFire answered to him.

That made Diego cuddle Shira even more knowing the fact that she could have not remembered anything, and would basically be the same thing as her getting killed. He wouldn't have her anymore. No one at night to be with. No one to go hunting with. And most importantly, no one to love.

"StarFire." Shira said.

StarFire looked at her.

"What was that?"

What was what?"

"That thing that attacked me. Or tried to scare me. What was it?"  
StarFire didn't answer. He continued carving his dagger.

"Please, I've got to know."

StarFire thought for a moment.

"It's BlackFire"

A/N:

**Another cliff hanger =D. thank you all for the continuous reviewing throughout my mental thinking for ideas over those couple days. I really felt like I cruised right through this chapter. In a good way. Some good news, for you guys at least: I'm getting my wisdom teeth pulled out Friday. (All 4 of them -_-) I'm 17, so it's better now than later, I guess =P. So, it's good news for you guys, because, I'll be doing nothing but lying in bed, and playing video games, watching movies, and most importantly, working on this story. So, that sums everything up for now, I suppose.**

**Please R&R. Goodnight.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira.

Title:

StarFire

A/N:

**Hello once again, everyone. This is the first chapter that I'm gonna spend multiple days on so that I can build up the climax (If it hasn't happened already) I'm gonna put a lot of suspense into this chapter, So it should turn out pretty long and attached to. Anyways, enjoy =D**

To Shira, the sound of that name pretty much pierced her mind and wouldn't allow her to think straight. Just the sound of it.

"BlackFire? Your sure that's what it was?" Diego says standing up.

"You know of it?" Shira asks, still lying down.

"Not really. No one actually knows what it is."

"Ya, I was pretty sure it didn't even exist. But you, apparently, showed me otherwise." StarFire steps in, "That wasn't a normal occurrence. Similar, Yes. But not normal. When I went in, not as much damage was given to me as was to you."

"That doesn't make much sense at all." Shira says.

"Ya, that's basically what I'm getting at."

Shira looks at Diego, giving him a concerned look.

"Well, apart from that, I've recently noticed that the Epsilon forest is not only getting more and more cursed, but it is spreading at a powerful speed as well." StarFire said.

"That's bad, right?" Diego said playing stupidly.

"Only if you want to retain our existence as living creatures in this world. Of course it's bad!" He says seemingly to be loosing patience, "In fact, I sent an old friend of mine many weeks ago in search of the cause of that curse. A curse so powerful, it has actually wiped out most of your race's existence. And I haven't seen him since."  
"Let me get this straight," Diego starts. "You sent someone else to do your work for you, to a diseased forest, and he's disappeared. Maybe captured. Maybe even being tortured as we speak!" He says going up to StarFire.

"Well, I wouldn't jump to any conclusions, I -"

"I bet you wouldn't." Diego cuts him off, "Let me tell you something, Star boy. Theirs a time for thought, and theirs a time for action, and this is one of those times!"

"...Which?" StarFire asks.

"The second one." Diego answers.

StarFire sighs, "Perhaps your right. It might be best if we move a little, how do you say, farther away from this forest. As far as I know, it hasn't been doing any of us any good."

"Say we were going to leave," Shira steps in, "Where on earth would we go?"

"We need to have a heading, or something." Diego adds.

"And their in lies the problem. Where ever we go, if it's on this island, we'd be doomed from the start. We always were."

"So, you don't-"

"Be that as it may," StarFire interrupts Shira, "I, as always have a plan."

"We should all be so lucky." Diego says sarcastically.

"Yes, well," StarFire says as he pulls out a leather cloth from his leather uniform and spreads it out on the ground, "This is what the creature that attacked you looked like, or at least the way I see it. Who knows, it might have the ability to change forms depending on who it's targeting. One things for sure, It needs to be killed."

"And I'm assuming you think that your the one who's gonna pull off the job?" Diego says looking up at him.

"Yes, I'm afraid I do."

"By yourself? It's too dangerous. It's not possible" Shira says.

"But that's what I'm best at. Making the Impossible Possible."

At that point, Shira gave up reasoning with him,so she goes back to sit down in a corner with Diego following her. He lays down against her to comfort her.

As the day drove to an end, StarFire was still thinking about how to solve this matter. Suddenly, a voice was heard in his head.

_"It is not sacrifice. It is evolution."_

_ "Live together. Together."_

_ "Live as one."_

_ '_Those voices. Where have I heard them before?' StarFire thinks as he looks at the two sabers falling asleep by the fire. 'They need a real life. Fighting for their survival. That's crazy! No one should be forced to live that way.'

He turns his attention back on the sketch of BlackFire. 'Soon. Very soon, somewhere, somehow, I'll have you. Your mine for the taking.' He thinks as he pierces the leather cloth with his wooden dagger, and throws it in the fire, leaving it to burn. That's when it hit him.

'Fire! Of course!' He was about to wake the sabers up. But a single problem ran through his mind, 'This is Shira's home. Sure, she said she hated it and never wanted to go back, but it's home after all. I can't do it without her say so.'

The common fear of the answer 'No' ran through StarFire's body.

'What if she says no. Then I'll have to think of something else. But... She'd understand. Her of all creatures would surely understand why I have to do it.'

He sighs, and gets up to wake up Shira and Diego.

"Hey. Wake up." He says nudging them on the shoulder. Diego woke up.

"What?" He asks.

"I have an idea."

"On where to go?" Diego asks again.

"Well, no. Actually on how to prevent the curse from spreading. What do you think destruction's weapon of choice is?" StarFire quizzes him.

"It that a trick question or something?"

"Partially, Yes."

"Well, I don't know." He says starting to fall back to sleep.

"Fire."

Diego's eyes open and instantly got what StarFire's crazy idea was.

"Are you insane?!"

"I've gotten that a lot, so I'm gonna have to say yes."

"You can't be serious. I mean, it's Shira's home. Why are you asking me this?"

"Well, you happened to be the one who woke up." StarFire says truthfully.

Diego leans over and nuzzles Shira to wake her up. "Hey, Shira. Wake up. Come on. Wake up."

Shira finally wakes up, "Is something wrong?"

"Actually, yes. StarFire's planning on burning the forest down." Diego answers.

Shira's eyes widen.

"You didn't have to put it into those words. " StarFire says with his head down.

"Why?! Why would you do that?! I thought you were the good guy!" Shira yells at him.

"This is what I was afraid of." StarFire sighs, "Look, you said you hated that place. You never wanted to go back there again."

"Yes but..." Shira starts.

"What is it?" Diego asks leaning into her.

"It's just... Krystal... her body, still in there, probably." she begins, tears forming in her eyes, as she remembers that still unforgettable night, "And if you burn the forest-"  
"I understand" StarFire finishes for her, "And if you feel the same, you'd understand why I have no choice. I have to burn the forest."

"Theirs got to be another way." Diego steps in again.

"I'm not taking a greater risk than is already being done" StarFire says back.

"Shira, I-"

"Burn it. All of it." Shira interrupts StarFire.

"Look, I don't want you to feel as though your being forced to agree to this." StarFire tells her.

"No. She'd understand. That's why we were such good friends. We understood each other. And she'd completely understand why the forest must be burnt down." Shira says, cuddling into Diego's warm body.

StarFire nods, and gets up to leave the cave.

"Should I even ask?" Diego says smirking at him.

"I'm just taking a walk. I need some fresh air."

"Alright, see you in the morning then?" Shira asks.

"We'll see." StarFire says as he leaves the cave.

Diego sighs and leans even closer into Shira, "What is this, a daily routine?"

"What do you mean?" Shira asks.

"It's pretty much the same thing every day. He goes out in the middle of the night. Usually never telling us we're he's going. And he's back the next morning."  
"What's wrong with that?" Shira asks. "I think he's just trying to respect our privacy."  
"Ya, that, or he's hiding something." Diego lets out.

"You can't possibly think that." Shira lifts her head to look at him.

"How can I not? If you were going out somewhere every night without telling me, I'd be a little concerned, wouldn't you think?" Diego asks her. Shira doesn't answer. She leans back into Diego's chest and starts licking him. Diego does the same to her forehead. It stayed that way for the rest of the night, until Shira spoke up.

"Will things ever be perfect?"

"What do you mean?" Diego asks.

"I mean, stuff keeps getting in the way. No day is ever completely perfect. There's always something there to ruin it."

"Maybe it's like that for a reason."

"Maybe."

Hearing him say that washed the depression that was enveloping Shira for those brief minutes of her life away.

"I guess I can honestly say, I'm completely happy the way my life turned out. I'm just praying that it stays this way." Shira says.

"Shira, I promise to make your life meaningful. I'll never let anything happen to you. I know I let you down yesterday in the forest, and I'm sorry for that. I'm just completely thankful that your memory wasn't erased, if what StarFire said was true."

"You really don't trust that guy, do you?" Shira asks with a smirk on her face.

"Not completely, no." Diego answers her.

"He's just trying to help. That's all he's trying to do. He's just trying to help. And he has."

"I know he has. I just don't know if there's a meaning behind it." Diego admits.

"Sure there is." Shira says, nuzzling him affectionately.

"What ever you say." Diego says as he starts to purr.

"Sofite."

"Kitty."

"I'll never get tired of that." Diego jokes.

The two sabers gradually drift into sleep until foot steps came running towards the cave.

StarFire steps inside, "We have to go, now!"

A/N:

**Wow, I've had a couple cliff hangers in this story. Is that a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, This chapter was one of my favorites to write. I found the dialogue to be very interesting, believable and realistic. I just hope I'm not getting lazy and having the chapters become shorter and shorter each time. Well, anyways, it's 1:35 in the morning, so I'm kinda done right now. Not sure how much longer this story is going to be, but I'll go where ever my mind takes me. So please R&R, and thank you for the supports after supports. Also, thanks to everyone who favorite or followed this story. I had no idea a story from my imagination would catch so many people's attention. Or are you just pretending to like this, so you don't hurt my feelings? Haha, either way, thanks guys, and goodnight. ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N:

**It's been a while since I last worked on this, due to school starting back up, and several other problems getting in the way. Because of this, I probably won't be updating this story as often as previous chapters. I was originally going to make this chapter my last one, but seeing things over, I found the plot to have the strength to go on even further down the line. Well, enjoy.**

The look in his eyes were enough to get anyone startled. What ever was going on could definitely not be good. Shira and Diego looked up at StarFire who had his bow out with him, meaning that a threat was near by.

"What? What's wrong?" Shira asked getting up, and could tell that Diego didn't want her to. They were to comfortable at the moment.

"The Delta's. They've found us. The whole pack is here." StarFire said breathing heavily.

"What! How?! How could they have found us?!" Diego sprang up, panic rising inside of him.

"I'm not sure. They're not here yet, I overheard their conversation about two miles from here. They've set up an assassination." StarFire continued.

"For us?" Shira asks.

"No. For me." He answers.

"You?! Why You?!" Diego asks.

"Because I'm the one who killed there leader. They want me more than anything. But that doesn't mean they won't still kill you for treason, Diego." StarFire informs him.

"Well, then let's get the hell out of here!" Diego suggests.

"Are you sure that's wise?" StarFire questions.

"What other options do we have?!" Shira yells, losing patience.

"Fight?" StarFire says.

"Ya, okay, you go out there and stall them, while Diego and I get away."  
"That isn't very reassuring." StarFire says, "Alright, we'll make a run for it. We need to go west. The mountains should be a good enough place to hide. When we get out, follow me, I'm gonna take off right away."

With that. The three make there way out of the cave and immediately run into the forest. Making sure to stay close by to each other, StarFire turns around for a quick second and couldn't believe his luck. The Delta pack was chasing in on them.

'Damn! They must have been waiting!' He tells himself, still running from tree to tree, still seeing that Diego and Shira are running about ten feet ahead of him.

'If we keep this up, we're as good as gone.' StarFire says, looking around, noticing that multiple sabers are coming from multiple directions.

'Are you kidding me?! They've set up a perimeter too?!'

StarFire grabs a tree branch from a tree he ran by and yanked it off the tree. Still running, he gets out the glowing stone, StarFire, and scratches it against the end of the branch, igniting it on fire.

With torch in hand, he turns around and starts swinging his branch to back off the attackers. Diego and Shira stop to watch to see what he was doing as suicide.

StarFire kept screaming at them to get back. The Delta's backed off at first, but figured that they outnumbered him, so they start closing in on him.

With his "quick" thinking, StarFire throws the branch at them and takes off again towards Diego and Shira.

"Well, that didn't work." He says, catching his breath as he caught up to Diego and Shira.

"If your done messing around, then I'd hate to be the bear of bad news, but there's a dead end." Diego tells him.

StarFire looks up at the impossible to scale terrain. "Hmm... I got nothing." He says, instantly giving up.

The three notice the Delta's closing in on them.

"Hang on!" StarFire said reaching in his pocket and pulled out a strange looking object. He sets it near the dead end and gets "StarFire" out again.

"What are you doing?! They're getting closer!" Shira yells at him.

"Great, just do me a favor and get back." StarFire says, lighting the fume on the weird object, and takes off in the opposite direction, Diego and Shira do the same.

For a couple of seconds, nothing happens, but soon Diego noticed the string attached to the object was getting shorter until it disappeared. That was the last thing he remembered before a loud explosion erupted from the dead end, leaving a trail of rubble in it's current existence.

Diego couldn't believe his luck. Or StarFire's for that matter. The once dead end stone wall, due to the blast from the explosion was now a pile of rocks, making it possible to climb up and escape.

As Diego and Shira started climbing up the blasted up area, they turn around to see StarFire launching arrows from his bow, only this time, they were lit on fire. With flames on his side, he used them to his advantage by laying a wall of flaming arrows along the area, blocking off the attackers. Once that was done, he turned around and headed up the pile of rocks.

On top of the rubble, a grassy terrain emerged. It was much like the one where Diego and Shira first met, to Diego's memory. The two sabers hear noise from below the rubble, and start to get back, only to see StarFire reach a hand over the top and pull himself up.

"That went by well, don't you think?" He says as he stands up, putting his bow away behind his back.

"Surly, you could have come up with something better?" Diego asks sarcastically.

StarFire lets out a small laugh, "You know me. Never a dull moment." He says as he starts to look around for anymore attackers.

"Should we head for the mountain areas?" Shira asks.

"If you want. The further away, the better."

Heading west towards the mountain regions of the Alpha pack, the three soon come across another cave. Figuring that it was far away enough from any intrusions, they start to rest inside.

"We staying here over night?" Diego asks.

"I suppose. There's nothing more we can do about this problem." He says leaning against the cave wall.

Diego lays down next to Shira and pulls her closer into him, getting much more use to it.

"Why me?" He sighs.

"What's wrong?" Shira asks looking into his eyes.

"Why do I have to put up with this? All this constant running and hiding. It's like a big game I'm playing, and they won't let me stop. I just want to settle down with you. But with all of "this" going on, it's not really possible." He says, leaning into her.

"That doesn't mean you're not happy." She says nuzzling him.

"I have you. It's impossible for me to be unhappy."

"...Diego"

"Ya?"

"You don't seem like yourself today." Shira says.

"What are you talking about? Haven't I always been like this?"

"No, I mean, it seems like there's a lot on your mind."

"I'm sure the same goes for you." Diego says back to her.

Just then, when things seemed as though there was no sound in the universe, a growl cut all of that away.

"Do you hear that?" Diego asks.

To Shira, those words sounded awfully familiar. As if she's said it before herself.

"We should leave, now." Shira says getting up walking to the exit, when the moonlight that was seeping into the cave vanished.

Standing in it's way, blocking the entrance was an eleven foot tall polar bear. Shira instantly recognized it. Never has she remembered an image more than when Krystal was grabbed by that enraged polar bear. The memory stayed in her ever since.

"Diego, Shira! back up!" StarFire's voice said, as he brought out his dagger, and jumped at the polar bear, climbing on top of it's head, and trying as best he could to pierce it's skull. It wasn't easy, as he expected, and was thrown off and collided into the side of the tree. The polar bear started walking towards him.

"Diego! That's the same polar bear that killed Krystal!" Shira said looking to her side, but didn't see Diego standing there. Instead, he was on the polar bear's back, sinking his teeth into it's neck.

"Diego!" Shira said, as she ran into the polar bear and dug her claws into his back.

The polar bear roared with pain. He got the upper hand eventually, and fell on his back, knocking the two sabers off.

StarFire was still against the wall. He saw his chance and brought out his bow and arrows, aimed at the polar bear, and fired, piercing it in the back. Unfortunately, it wasn't critical, as the polar bear reached behind him, and pulled the arrow out of him, snapping it in half as he did so.

"Damn. What else can I do?" StarFire says to himself, looking around for any answers. It came to his attention that he was bleeding. Not just a deep cut or anything, but half of his upper chest area was torn off, leaving a crimson red color in it's place. Only now did it start to hurt with excruciating pain.

The polar bear grabbed Diego by the throat, and Shira instantly got the image of Krystal. The same thing was happening again. Only this time it was Diego!

"NO!NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE! WHY ARE YOU TAKING EVERTHING THAT HAS ANY MEANING TO ME AWAY FROM ME?!" Shira said out of rage as she jumped on the polar bear, or tried to. She was swatted back by the enemy's other arm. Laying on the ground crying, she couldn't do anymore. Her fatigue was getting to her once again.

'It's over. My life. No meaning. You. You bastard!'. Having so much pain, suffering, sadness, anger, and rage inside of her, she was left unable to control herself.

The first strike the polar bear made on Diego was on his left shoulder, leaving it crimsoned red. Diego tried holding back the pain, but found it impossible to do so.

That moment went by. Nothing before was as horrible as what was going on right then and there. Diego looked into Shira's eyes one final time as she did to his saying, "I'm sorry." as he waited the polar bears finishing blow.

It never came.

'What? What's happening?' Diego thought to himself, still holding the pain from his left shoulder.

Shira started easing her sadness down, wondering why the polar bear isn't finishing his dirty work.

It came to their attention, a dagger, right in the right side of the polar bear's neck. Causing it to collapse to the floor, dead, freeing Diego at last.

StarFire, seeing his success , relaxes and falls to the floor. He starts to see the world around him fading. Fading very slowly. He heard dim voices as well, "StarFire! You can't! You won't! Stay with-' And just like that, he blacks out.

"_It is not Sacrifice. It is Evolution"_

It was there that StarFire, the legend itself, was gone. Gone forever more.

A/N:

**Ya, I guess I couldn't get 2K words in this chapter. It's more difficult than I thought. So, anyways, I hope you liked that chapter. Now how could it continue from here? Maybe an epilogue? No, The story will continue. It's not over yet. And also, thanks again for being patient (I hope) with this update. I was starting to lose patience myself (If that's even possible). Since it's a three day weekend for me this week, another chapter might appear within the time being. With that aside, like always, please R&R. I got this done rather early this time. 9:00 at night. And again, thanks for the support. =D **


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer:  
I do not own the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N:

**About time this chapter showed up, right? Sorry, but I've been busy for the past 2 or 3 weeks. I still currently am, so these chapters are gonna come by very slowly. Many other things are getting in the way as well that I don't feel like talking about right now, or ever. Alright, enough about me talking about my screwed up life, enjoy the long awaited chapter 11. And BTW, I got this idea for this chapter from the song _Easier _by_ Dope_. If you find the time to search it up, please do, as it describes this chapter really well. At least I think it does. Anyways, enough rambling on. Enjoy.**

Shira always questioned fate. It is, after all, unpredictable. But what really makes her think is the fact that everything that has been going on in her life is fate. It over powers everything. Fate is everything. These thoughts came to her every once in a while, but not like this. It was different this time around. It was something that no matter which way she looked at it, there was no solution to it. It was that very night before. It all happened over again, and knowing her luck, it'll probably happen a third time.

That following morning, both sabers take the once to be said StarFire to a place that perhaps had the most meaning to them.

"You really think here is good? What would _he_ think?" Shira asked Diego although she kind of already knew the answer, but like Diego, she wanted to hear it from him.

"Absolutely. What place could be any better?"  
"He'd understand, wouldn't he?"

Diego doesn't answer her. Both of them knew the answer all too well. Getting to work on the burial, time let it go by rather quickly again. After it was over, seeing StarFire's face one last final time, they both turned around and started heading back.

Walking away, no where in particular, Shira keeps trying to say something that has been on her mind all morning to Diego, and finally goes for it.

"Why did he do it?" Shira asks, looking at Diego.

"I don't know. Why are you asking me?"

"Because I think you were the reason why he did it. Or, _we_ are the reason in a way." Shira says looking down at the dry grass in front of her.

Diego again, didn't answer her back. Shira has had this sort of thing happen to her before.

'Losing someone. It's a powerless feeling left inside even the best of us. It remains there for the rest of our lives, waking up everyday forcing us to remember.' Shira thought to herself. She knew that Diego has never experienced anything like losing someone before, as far as she knew. And it was obvious that he never did, considering the way he's been acting.

"You don't seem as sad as I thought you would be." Diego speaks up. Now Shira doesn't say anything back. Both sabers were becoming isolated from each other, which Diego didn't want.

"You really need me that much?" He asks in a vague tone of voice.

"What do you mean?" Shira stops and asks, making Diego stop as well.

"What you said last night. You know, during all of that?"

"Oh, ya, uh..."

"Cause I feel the same way." Diego says smiling.

"But if it weren't for StarFire, you might not even be..."

"I know, I know." Diego says stopping her from finishing her sentence. Hearing her say it would probably pain him in unimaginably emotional ways. In other words, he would go insane.

"But he deserves all the respect he can get." Diego tells her. "But still, why don't you seem sad about this?"  
"I am sad. I'm just not crying. There's no point to. There's never a point to. He died for a purpose."

_"What matters is that you two are safe." _The words that StarFire said one night came back into Diego's memories.

"So he died to save me. That much is obvious." Diego says.

"Ya, so many noble sacrifices. Krystal. StarFire. The Delta Pack. And for what, our sanctuary?" Shira says, looking back at the ground beneath her.

"The Deltas deserved to die."

"Even so..." Shira said, still studying the ground beneath her.

What?" Diego asks, stopping beside her.

"It's just that, there's still so many things I don't understand."  
"And you expect to just suddenly realize everything?" Diego asks.

"Of course not."

Walking aimlessly for an unknown period of time, Shira begins to think about the night before. The one that may have almost turned into the worst night of her life. She could have lost him. Everything she had left. The only thing she had left. She's felt that way before when Krystal was killed, but Diego? That's a completely different story.

"I just couldn't imagine what my life would have been like if I had lost you last night." Shira slips out with tears in her eyes.

"Shira, I don't want you worrying about that."

"I can't help it." Shira says leaning into Diego as they both sit on the tall grass around them.

"What matters is that you're happy. That's all I want."

"I'm still curious, though." Shira looks up at him.

"About what?"

"Last night. You dimly said 'I'm sorry'. What did you mean exactly?"

Diego refused to answer, but didn't see any point to not answer.

"I said it because I thought I was gonna die last night." Diego said and could tell that Shira didn't like him saying how he could have died. It was just too dark. Too tragic to actually happen.

'But what if it did happen?' Shira continued thinking to herself, but got rid of those negative thoughts once more.  
"But what was the meaning of it?" Shira asks, having suspicion that Diego was hiding something from her.

"I...I just can't tell you."  
_"Isn't it amazing how much someone can change when faced with death?"_ the words of the Delta leader. Gisach said those couple of nights back, were enveloping in Shira's mind.

"Please, I need to know."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"It'll kill you."

Shira looked him in the eyes. "What do you mean it'll-

"There's something I haven't told you. I'm the cause of all of this. The cause of all the pain you've been through."

"You?! How?!" Shira jumps up in shock.

Diego thinks back to when it all happened. When the mistake took place.

'Damn, why did Gisach make me drag this thing over here? If it was his idea, why have someone else do his dirty work for him?' Diego says, dragging something much bigger than him into the Epsilon forest.

"I know that we're enemies and all, but still. This is just lower that low." He says to himself, losing fatigue as he continues to drag the white batch of fur with him.

"Still, this is quite an unusual way to settle our differences, if that's what he is planning to do. Whatever. The sooner I get there, the sooner I leave."

Diego stops to release the body from his jaws. He bends down to listen to it's heart, which was still beating.

"Still alive. That's good news. This might actually have a chance." Diego says.

He figures that he is close enough and gets hidden in a near by bush.

"This might actually be interesting. If this polar bear actually wakes up anytime soon. It's hard to believe that we actually managed to take it down without killing it." He says, waiting for the polar bear to wake up. Diego knew that once the bear wakes up, it'll instantly realize that it's been attacked, and worse, moved to a different location. Being at this state, it would instantly become enraged, killing anything in it's path, assuming that they are responsible for his whereabouts. To this advantage, the polar bear, if luck were on Diego's side, would slaughter the unaware group of Epsilons.

Diego starts to notice the polar bear twitching. It was getting up! That's also when he heard voices coming form a different direction. Getting louder, he could tell that they were female voices.

'That's funny. Gisach never told me that females were in the Epsilon pack' He shrugs.

Out of the trees, two grayish sabers are walking side by side. Diego couldn't help but fix his eyes on the shorter of the two.

'Wow, I've never seen such a beautiful saber before.' He goes on to think about her, but suddenly remembers the polar bear. He looks back to where it was. Or where it was suppose to be.

'What?! It's gone?! Where the hell did it go?! He yells to himself. At that moment, he heard a loud thud. He looks back to where the two sabers were. One of them was clearly getting killed by the polar bear slashing away at her. The other, the shorter of the two, was up against a tree, which explained the loud thud he heard.

'No! How could I be so stupid?! If I'd known that this was what I was up against, then I would've-' he thinks to himself, looking around him.

'I gotta get out of here!' He says taking off to the closest exit of the forest that he wish he never entered in the first place.

"And that's pretty much what happened up until I met you." Diego says looking down at the ground below him, not wanting to see Shira's tears. He was waiting to hear her response, but didn't get an answer. He looks up, only to see Shira running away from him.

"Shira!" Diego yells out to her, instantly taking off after her.

"What is she doing?! I knew I shouldn't have told her! This is exactly why I kept it a secret all this time!" Diego yells to himself still chasing after her. Unfortunately, for Diego, male sabers are known for strength, not endurance. Female sabers are the exact opposite. It was of no surprise when Diego realized that Shira was no where in sight.

"No! She can't leave!" Diego tells himself as he stops and looks down in defeat. Also from losing fatigue.

"I can't lose her. I can't. I won't. She means everything to me." He says to himself, forming tears in his eyes.

"I'll do anything I can to protect you Shira. To make you happy. I promised you that, and I'm keeping that promise. I won't lose you Shira. I never will. Never."

With that, Diego picks up her scent. He'll never forget it. He then takes off in the strongest point of direction, Just like he taught Shira to

A/N:

**Ya, short chapter, I know. I really think I'm getting lazy with these. That or I just can't find the time to work on them. Probably both. I'm not sure when I'll update the next chapter. I just go with what ever the world throws at me, so it'll be when ever.**

**A little warning for you all: I mentioned a song that describes this song at the intro A/N. Well, just to let you know, the majority of the band's songs are parental warning Metal songs. Just letting you know, I'd hate to see a bunch of hate messages on my stories. Just a heads up. I'm not encouraging you or anything. Okay, enough said. Cya!**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer:  
I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N:

**Typing these chapters are just getting tougher and tougher. Not because I'm running out of ideas or anything, cause I've got plenty of them. I just don't have a PC to type this up on, so I kinda have to leech off of other peoples PC's in my family. This is gonna be the last chapter I'm gonna upload for a while. Sorry for the inconvenience. School has just been hell lately, but what else is new? **

The gray tigress continued running, never wanting to go back.  
"I can't believe him! All this time! He caused all of this. How could he?!" She thinks to herself with tears rapidly running down her cheeks. It felt like the first night she met him all over again. She didn't care where she went. At least she wouldn't have if she didn't stop herself.  
'No!' She tells herself, coming to a stop near a river, "I'm not going through this again! I won't let this happen more than once!" She says, starting to calm down. She lays down and starts to think.  
"If only StarFire were here." She said to herself, realizing that ever since StarFire appeared, her life became that much better.  
"But he's gone now. Nothing's going to change that." She continued to say, looking up at the sky. It was becoming darker and darker as the sun began to set behind the mountains.  
A part of her had no idea why she took off, running away from Diego in the first place. That side was starting to take control.  
"Maybe if I just started heading back, I'd-" Shira instantly shook her head.  
'No! Not after what he did! Sure, it was an accident.' She said, starting to argue with herself.  
'What? You're just leaving the only saber that brought any meaning to your life, just because he made ONE mistake?!'  
'It was a huge mistake!'  
'Forgive him!'  
'Why should I?!'  
She was starting to lose her sanity. Just then, her memory caught up with her.  
"When the one you love puts you down, you must accept him with all your heart." The words from the unknown came back to her, instantly making her realize the meaning of them. Still, why should she listen. It wasn't her fault. Then again, that's why it would be the right thing to do. To forgive him.  
'What am I suppose to do?! I don't even know where I am!' She says, sighing in defeat.  
'This can't be happening. I have to go back. I need to find him.' She argues with herself.  
'I need to apologize.' She tells herself.  
'Apologize? For what? He's the one who should apologize.'  
'He's said sorry more than enough times.' She continued to argue inside her head. Thinking about that made her remember that first night. The night that changed her life. Diego told her he was sorry. First, Shira thought he was sorry for her wound on her leg from the tree branch she cut herself on. She later learned he was sorry for attacking her when they first met. And now, it's for keeping this secret from her for all this time.  
'What's the real answer?! Is there no truth in this world at all?!' She yelled to herself. Insanity was kicking in, corrupting her mind from all sane thoughts.  
'I'm just so lost. Everything. Nothing left for me. Nothing.' Tears formed rapidly down her face. Not from sadness, but from instant regret. All of this could have been avoided.  
'It was fate.'  
'Stop using that as an excuse! I was born to suffer!'  
'Was meeting Diego a part of that? That was fate, damn it!'  
Suddenly, her mental argument went silent. "Help me. Someone." She said, tears running down like crazy. The way she said it was exactly that of which she said to Diego that first night when she asked, or more like begged for his help.  
Minutes of endless sadness wash by. Still disillusioned from the world, Shira was giving up hope. But hope had other plans. Shira suddenly felt something on her left shoulder. She looks to her left to see a hand on her shoulder. A human hand.  
"Shira." Was all it said. Shira looks up to see what she would have thought to have been the impossible.  
Shira doesn't say anything as she looks up into the blue eyed, blonde haired human once again.  
"But... How?" Shira stutters, finding it difficult to say the right words for what she was seeing. Or was she? Is this real? Is it her imagination? What she was seeing didn't seem possible. StarFire was back.  
He didn't say anything or answer her. He instead sat down next to her, looking out into the slowly fading forest that dwelled around them.  
"He needs you. You know that?" He finally says.  
Shira didn't know what to say. What could she say? Is this even real?  
"You know that, don't you?" He asks again. Shira just nods her head. StarFire does the same shortly after she does.  
"And you need him."  
Shira tried looking the other way, thinking that all of this was an illusion brought on from her mind. The strange thing is, though she looked the other way, StarFire was still sitting next to her, staring into the unknown.  
'What the hell is going on? There's no way he can be here right now.' She thinks to herself. She really did think at that moment that it was her imagination getting the best of her. It had to be her losing her sanity. But was it?  
StarFire finally turns his head to show acknowledgement to Shira. "You seem a little confused." He says from behind her all of a sudden. It was just a big illusion that was existing at the moment. And Shira was starting to completely lose it.  
"Okay, stop! Enough already! You're really starting to scare me!" She says turning her head to see him. The odd thing though, was that even though his voice was heard from behind her, he wasn't there.  
"Okay, now your just screwing with me! Just stop already! You're not StarFire!" She says, really reconsidering that last sentence. The answer to that is impossible to find.  
"Funny thing though," his voice says, although he was no where to be seen, "this isn't the first time you've said that, remember?" He says, a small amount of playful talk in those words.  
"Shut up!" Shira got even more tears in her eyes. The more she heard those voices, the more insane she was becoming.  
"Is this a dream?" He continues to say, appearing right in front of her, making her jump back in shock. She couldn't take it any more. All she could do was lie down with her head buried in her arms, and plead for the voices to go away. It wasn't StarFire. It can't be. It's not possible.  
"It's so impossible!" She yells out.  
"The things in front of you? Everything? Is it all a dream? Diego? Krystal? The delta pack? Are they all a lie? Am I a lie too?" He says, getting more and more close to her.  
Shira could do nothing but scream her head off. Tears flowing uncontrollably down her face.  
"Am I? Am I a lie, Shira?"  
"No!"  
"Will you betray me, too?"  
"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!"  
StarFire began to let a smirk come across her face. "Don't give in to it's tricks, Shira. You know better."  
Shira didn't know what else to say. She was shaking uncontrollably. Tears running rapidly. Her face was as red as blood.  
"His will is strong. His power is forever. This being will not only kill those who are good, but will corrupt the minds of them as well. Don't give in. Trust your instincts."  
"Your not StarFire, you monster!" Shira stands up and yells in his face.  
" If you don't, then he will die." This made Shira stop in fear.  
"Who will die?" She asked, demandingly.  
"This being will kill those who are good."  
The message ran through Shira's mind. Clearly who ever this being is will kill-  
'No! It's impossible!'  
'Then it's a dream.'  
What just happened? Shira didn't say that out loud. She said it in her head. Yet, this fraud of StarFire could still hear her. Even crazier, he could talk within her mind. Now, Shira was definitely jumping to the conclusion that she was insane.  
'Okay, I gotta calm down.' She says, sitting down with her eyes closed, taking deep, steady breaths.  
'What does that mean? Corrupt those that are good? Well, the only two people that I've met that are on my side are Diego and-' she stopped thinking for a moment.  
"StarFire." She says, opening her eyes again. This time, she didn't see him. He was probably playing another trick on her.  
"You've... You've been corrupted. But... How?"  
All hope was gone.  
"Whose doing all of this? I have to know. If that fraud is the one corrupting those who are good, then that means that..."  
Shira runs off the direction she came from, no giving a second thou about it.  
"Diego is next. I can't lose him. I won't!"  
Trying to remember where she came from the best she could, she finds herself out of the forest at last.  
"Diego!" She called out at the top of her lungs. She looked around, but it was a low chance that after a couple of hours, he'd actually appear before her.  
"Diego..." She muttered to herself, "I need you."  
"I know you do." A voice said, making Shira jump from her sitting position. She turned around to see what she thought would be that fake identity impersonator, but was instead what she had hoped it would be.  
"Diego?" She said quietly, starting to back up, "Is it you?" she asked unsurely of herself.  
"Shira, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please. I need you. I love you, Shira."  
Shira kept backing up, "No! Get away from me!" She yelled at him.  
"Shira? Why? I'll never leave you!"  
"Go away!" She continued to yell at his face, 'you're not real. Your him. You fraud!' Shira though to herself.  
"Go...away...now." She breathed in threateningly.  
"No! I'm not just gonna walk away from what means the most to me!"  
Shira officially lost it. She was about to jump up and attack him. She would have. If Diego didn't attack her first.  
Shira felt herself get flipped onto her back, landing into the cold, ice freezing snow. She was about to immediately get right back up, but a warm blanket of fur that came on top of her prevented her from doing that. She next felt her lips come in contact with another. All of this explained everything. It was Diego. The real Diego. Shira opened her eyes to see a pair of emerald glazing eyes looking directly at her. Diego released his lock with hers and said, "Just keep looking into my eyes, Shira. Just keep looking. Please." Diego put his mouth back against hers.  
Shira, now realizing that it was Diego, does exactly that of which he told her. Her sapphire eyes reflecting into his emerald eyes, while his emerald eyes reflected into her sapphire eyes. Thus, creating a mixed color of endless possibilities.  
Diego would occasionally pull apart their lips just a hair's length apart to allow oxygen to pass through. Other than that, they were full on locked. Not just their mouths, but their eyes too. Along with their bodies, and even their minds. Thinking about nothing else but each other.  
Any other couples were a laughing joke to Diego and Shira. Truly, when both sabers look into each others eyes, nothing else, with all honesty, mattered.  
As time passed by, they eventually released locks with each others lips.  
"Diego, I..." She didn't know what to say.  
"I need you, Shira." Diego tells her, tears forming in his eyes, started sliding down his cheeks, on to his chin, and dropped onto Shira's cheeks. But Diego didn't hold them back. He never tried. He wanted Shira to see them, showing her that he desperately needed her. He'd rather not be with any other saber.  
"I need you too, softie." She said, trying to add humor into those words.  
"Shira. I... I understand how you've been through so much. And... No much how much trouble you may think you are to me, I want you to know, the only trouble I'll have is if you truly leave me. If I truly lose you, Shira. I promise. I won't lose you. I'll never-"  
His words were cut short when he felt her lips come in contact with hers.  
As dim as the night was. As quite as the forest around them was, the sound of their hearts, and their ever lasting purring was the most contrast sound of the night. If every animal on the island could hear them, then it only showed how much more important the sabers were, compared to anything else. Nothing else mattered.

A/N:

**Alright, this chapter actually hit 2K words again. I actually reconsider what I said in the above A/N. I'll try to work on these the best I can. Although, I'll probably take a break from StarFire for a while. I might add more chapters to my DiegoXShira OneShots. So, I guess thats it. Cya**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N:

**Alright, I finally got some time to type up this next one, from my ipod from now on. First of all, I want to give my complete thanks to MusicRocks807 and idontcaaare for the reviews on my "4th chapter" to DiegoXShira OneShots. I knew from the start that that negative review was nothing but lies. And I really hate talking bad about people, but if people are criticizing me, then I'll do the right thing, and return the favor. But I really try not to, like i said. So, all in all, without those 4 reviews I got back from that, this chapter might not even exist.**

Getting to understand something that's been on your mind forever can be nearly impossible. But in a couple weeks, the gray tigress has come to understand so many things that she never knew about. Things that were driving her insane. And she had him to thank.  
'StarFire. It was you, wasn't it?' Shira thought to herself that night. As soon as Diego found her earlier, they searched for, again, another cave to stay in for the night. It's been her sincere hopes that this one will be their last. But something told her it won't be.  
As she laid there, trying to get some sleep, with Diego wrapping his arms and legs around her for the most obvious of reasons, she continues to think about the last event that happened. Seeing StarFire again. Diego was already asleep.  
'It's funny how he can get sleep, considering how I always seem to cause worry and fear in his life. Yet, he doesn't act like he has any. I wish I could be more like him. Sometimes.' Shira thought, looking at Diego's closed- shut eyes.  
'StarFire. It was you. You've been corrupted. How? How is that even possible?' She thinks to herself.  
She starts getting a little more tired as the night gets deeper into itself. She takes a glance at the cave entrance, looking out into the dark sky filled with stars, with the moon's light shining into the cave, giving contrast to both of their silver and gold coats.  
'This needs to end. That being. The one who can corrupt those who are good. Who could possibly do something like that?!' Shira yells to herself, trying to think of any answer that came to mind.  
'Gisach? No. Not likely. Someone more evil than that. Who else is there?!'  
"StarFire..." She whispers to herself.  
"StarFire. StarFire." she continues, thinking that she was catching on to something. She was. That's when it finally got to her.  
"BlackFire." she says, feeling stupid for not figuring that out earlier. StarFire and BlackFire. They must have something in common. They must be related somehow. But how?  
'Is there something he never told me?'  
Shira tries to think back to all the events that have taken place since that first night with Diego. She tried piecing them all together, but nothing added up.  
'I guess some things still don't make sense.' She tells herself, resting her head on Diego's shoulder, being careful not to wake him up.  
"And you expect to just instantly know everything?" The words Diego said that night before Shira ran away from him came back to her for some unknown reason.  
'We've been through so much. But... Who's been through worse? Or does it even matter?'  
At that moment, Shira felt lost. Confused. Depressed. The only thing different was that she wasn't losing her mind this time around.  
Shira looks back at Diego, who still had his eyes closed.  
"At least he knows how to have a good night sleep." She thinks, smiling to herself.  
"Every night and every day I've been with you, Diego, you really have changed my life. For the better. Everyday I'm with you, I feel happy. Every night I'm with you, I feel safe. No matter what happens, you've made my life meaningful. You have. You really have." Shira said out loud. And out of luck too. She had her head faced away from Diego as she leaned into the side of his body, unaware that Diego was awake, and heard her whole "speech of feelings". She was unaware of this until Diego spoke up.  
"You sleeping okay?" He said, cutting off the silence.  
Shira pulled her head off of Diego's body and looks up at him.  
She lets out a sigh of relief, "Can you stop doing that?" she says playfully with a smile appearing on her face.  
"Sorry, but it just seems to happen at the worst time, right?" He says as he lets Shira lay back into his chest.  
"Ya, so, how much of that did you hear?"  
"Shira, you've said a lot of things to me. And I have a feeling that half of the time, you don't want me to hear, or you wish you never said." Diego says, nuzzling the left side of Shira's neck.  
"And, what are you getting at, exactly?" She asks, still being playful to him.  
"Well, first of all, I was wondering why you aren't asleep. I'm guessing that something is in your mind."  
"When isn't something on my mind?" Shira said.  
"I'm sure a lot was on your mind yesterday."  
Shira sighs, "Diego, what happened yesterday. What I did. How I reacted. You never deserved any of it."  
"Ya, but it didn't have to happen, you know, with the polar bear and everything." Diego says, noticing that Shira was forming tears in her eyes.  
"Yes it did." Shira interrupts, "It was suppose to happen. If you had a choice, you wouldn't have done it."  
"Well, look at it this way. If I never went into that forest with the polar bear in the first place, I never would have met you."  
"But... Krystal. She's... Her life was just..."  
"I know." Diego says, leaning and having his lips come in contact with hers. Diego could feel one of Shira's tears rolling off of her and on to him.  
Diego releases their lock, "I really hate seeing you sad, Shira. It makes me sad too."  
"Sorry. I just don't know how to move on. Everyone around me is dying. And, for all I know..."  
"Please, just stop. Don't say it."  
"Diego, I think I'm losing my mind. I just can't think straight anymore."  
"Shira, you've never changed since the first day I met you. I want you to know that.  
"Ya, but that's on the outside. But Diego," Shira started.  
"Yes, Shira?"  
Shira didn't know what to say for a couple of seconds, "no matter what happens, can you at least promise me this. Just don't do anything too out of your league. I just can't bare to see you in face with death, like that night with the polar bear."  
"I promise, if you promise the same thing."  
Shira smiled and nods.  
"So, you think you can get some sleep, now?" Diego says, keeping his eyes in contact with hers.  
"I don't know," Shira begins as she strokes Diego's arm up and down, "I'd much rather get lost in your eyes. It's hard to look away from them." She says playfully, yet there was truth in those words as well.  
"I could say the same to you." He says smiling back at her.  
"Ya, but another reason why I don't want to sleep is because you're right here with me. When ever I'm with you, ever since I was with you, it just makes me happy. And it's not like I haven't said this enough already, but everyday I've woken up with you by my side instantly makes my day that more amazing. And as soon as you wake up, it makes the day even more amazing." She said, leaning even tighter into him.  
"Then it's a good thing I'm a heavy sleeper. Otherwise, I would wake up first."  
"I really don't think it would matter who wakes up first. As long as I see you everyday." She says, pausing for a moment' "And I wouldn't have any idea where I would be if I never met you." She says more quietly as she yawns, beginning to close her eyes.  
"Hey, don't forget how it all actually Hap-"  
"Thank you." Shira interrupted as she closed her eyes, finally getting some sleep.  
"Like I always say, anytime." Diego says, resting his head in Shira's neck, as he drifted off into sleep.  
That following morning, the two sabers did what they normally did every morning, waking up, embracing each other in affection, getting a meal for the day, and so on. Some things just never change. Unfortunately, change always fights back.  
"Shira." Diego says, walking beside her on an afternoon walk across the biggest cape on the island.  
"Ya?" Shira asks, always curious of what Diego will say.  
"Do you trust me? Like, completely?" He asks, turning his head towards her, with the ocean's waves in the background. To Diego, the sight before him seemed too good to be true, even in a dream. Shira's sapphire eyes were matching with the oceans current coming towards the sandy beach perfectly. The barely-started sunset over the oceans horizon gave the scene before him even greater features.  
All of this prevented Diego from realizing that Shira answered him, and was waiting for his response. What made it even more awkward was the fact that Diego was lost in his own fantasy at that moment, it took him a while to snap back to reality when Shira said his name.  
"Diego?" She says playfully.  
Diego shook his head, blinked a couple times, and looked back up at Shira.  
"Sorry, it's just that..." He begins, starting to trail off again. He just couldn't help himself. She was just too beautiful to him. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Sure, they may have been together for a week or so now, but no matter how many times Diego looks at her, or what way he looks at her, she seems to get more amazing each and every time.  
"Is something wrong, softie?" she asks teasingly, making Diego snap back into reality again.  
"Uh...no. It's just that... You're so... Beautiful."  
Shira's heard him say that a thousand and one times before, but the way he said it just now had more truth and passion in it than any other time he's said it.  
Shira was about to jump on Diego and embrace her love for him.  
Unfortunately, Diego had the same idea, and the both collide with each other, causing them both to tumble down the beach, and into the rather warm water.  
Instantly, Shira's instincts told her to get out immediately. Crawling out of the water and colliding in the sand, she looked around, expecting Diego to be by her. He wasn't. She looked behind her to see Diego still in the water, like it was nothing new to him.  
Diego gets a smirk face, "And I thought softie was MY nickname." He says teasingly. He then jumps back, going into deeper waters, forcing him to start swimming.  
"Diego, are you crazy?!" Shira yells out to him, "You'll drown!"  
"What did I just tell you?" He says, starting to swim towards shore again.  
"What are you talking about?" She asks, starting to come closer to the water.  
"I can swim just fine." He says, getting in land and out of the water. He shakes his body, ridding himself of the water that was soaked within his fur.  
"Diego, I..." Shira started, "I had no idea you could swim." She says smiling.  
"Ya, I guess that's the only thing left that I haven't told you about me."  
"Does this relate to that question you asked earlier?" Shira asked.  
"What question?"  
"You know, the one asking if I trusted you completely."  
"Oh, uh... Ya."  
"Cause my answer is yes." She says, jumping on him, pinning him down, and leaning in to kiss him.  
Shira was about to open her eyes. That's when something was happening. Something really strange. Something unnatural was happening. All she could see was two figures in blackness. One of them was clear to her. It was StarFire. The other was too dim. She couldn't tell. But it was obvious to her who it was.  
Shira spoke out of fear, "It's you."

A/N:

**Again, thanks for the reviews is really all I can say. And I will be continuing my "DiegoXShira OneShots" Stories**

**Cya :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire

A/N:

**This is the second to last chapter as far as I know. I don't have much more to say, so enjoy.**

So suddenly, so unexpectedly, Shira was taken to another part of her mind. However, something about it didn't seem right. It wasn't a dream. She could control herself. She could even speak.  
"Gisach?"  
The figure standing next to StarFire became clearer to her. Shira also noticed that she was in the Epsilon forest. The very same place where the polar bear attack occurred.  
Already, Shira could tell that this was another trick. She turned around and tried to get away from all of this, but that just proved that she forgot about what happened last time.  
The moment that Shira turned around, Gisach and StarFire were right in front of her. They were eyeing her intimidatingly.  
"I'm not afraid of you." Shira said, trying her best not to back up. The two figures didn't say anything. They both turned to each other, casting glances, and quickly looked back at her.  
"Is this a dream?" Gisach said, staring off into space.  
"No, but I know one thing. Your nothing but a faker."  
"Is this whole thing a game?" StarFire asked, looking at her.  
"You're a game. You're nothing to me. You don't exist." Shira said, walking past them. The only problem was, how would she get out of this? How will she find Diego again?  
"Do you want to stop the Epsilon curse, or not?" StarFire asked demandingly.  
That got her attention. Shira turned her head back around.  
"I don't care anymore. Just leave me alone!" She screamed at them.  
"You think this a dream? You think I'm a fake?!" StarFire yelled, grabbing Shira by the throat and pinning her to the ground.  
"Don't let my impersonation trick you, Shira! You know me! You know who I am. And I'm positive you know who... She is." He said.  
Shira was about to react, when she was instantly back up and off the ground.  
'What?! How did I... I was just...' She said, completely confused.  
'Join us.' The now appearing StarFire said.  
'Live together. Together.' Gisach added.  
'Live as one.'  
Shira turned to see who said that last part. It was Diego.  
'No.' Shira said to herself, "NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"  
"Shira." StarFire's voice called out.  
"This is BlackFire's doing. These are all lies. Trust your instincts." He said.  
Shira stood there for a minute, not really caring about what to think anymore.  
"It's so impossible. It's not true." She said, looking up at the three impersonators, rage building up inside of her.  
Instantly, she jumped at Diego, but the second she did that, Diego collapsed to the floor as if he were dead.  
Shira was confused. She was more than confused.  
"Useless puppets. I should have known this wouldn't work." An incredibly deep voice echoed.  
Already, Shira could only imagine who it was.  
"BlackFire." She said very quietly.  
"This is your last warning. Do not proceed into the Epsilon forest. By trying to stop the curse, you will either find your sanctuary, or your grave. Heed my warning."  
Shira felt a bright light in front of her eyes. She closed her eyes to rid herself of the brightness. Once she opened them again, she faintly heard a voice.  
"Shira! Wake up! Don't do this to me! Why are you doing this?!" It said louder and louder.  
Shira's vision finally came back to her. Blinking a few times, looking around to see her surroundings, and resting her eyes on another pair. The all too familiar emerald orbs shot down looking at her. Tears were flowing at drastic speed.  
"Shira! Are you okay?! What happened?!" Diego asked, pleading his soul that she was okay.  
Shira didn't say anything. Instead, she lifted her head off the ground and did what Diego said he'd never get tired of. With her lips against his, Diego got the answer he was praying for.  
Diego released his lock and nuzzled all around her face.  
"Diego!" Shira said happily, laughing at what he was doing.  
Diego stops and looks into her eyes.  
"Sorry. I was just so worried. The second you were unconscious, I just... I mean, I immediately thought that you might have... Lost your..."' He says, leaning down and resting his face by hers, "your memory."  
"Why on earth would you..." Shira began, just before she recalled what StarFire said that day after she went into the Epsilon forest where StarFire and Diego rescued her from BlackFire. StarFire mentioned how it was possible for her to have lost her memory.  
'So was that it?' Shira thought to herself, 'He's trying to take my memory away from me? I'm not sure. But still, why was he trying to make me believe that those impersonations were real? Well, at least I figured out one thing. They were fakes. But even so, has StarFire really been corrupted? When I saw his impersonator, he seemed to have two sides to himself. One of them was StarFire. The real StarFire. The other side was his fake. It must have been BlackFire. I'm not sure, but I think he was trying to control him, yet StarFire resisted his attempt to do so.'  
"Shira?" Diego's voice said, killing away the silence again. Shira looked up at him.  
'Should I even bring the topic up? If I'm ever gonna rid myself from this mental torture that keeps enveloping me, then the only way to do it, the best chance I've got, would be to burn down that forest. I've got no regrets in doing so. It's what StarFire wanted. It's what Krystal would've wanted. It's the only solution.'  
"Shira, is something wrong?" Diego asked, leaning closer into her.  
Shira looked back at him once more with tears in her eyes, "It happened again, Diego. With BlackFire."  
That previous night, when Shira first encountered the fake StarFire, after Diego had found her, she recapped all that happened right after she ran away from him, up to the point when Diego found her again. So, Diego knew what she was talking about.  
"Shira, I'm sorry that this is happening to you. I promise I'll find a way to fix this. I just hate seeing you suffer like this. It tears me apart on the inside."  
"Um, ya..." Shira began remembering what she was previously thinking about. "About that, I..."  
"What is it?"  
"It's just that I've already made my decision."  
"About what?" Diego asks, not understanding.  
"We have to burn the forest down."  
A look of shock appeared over Diego's face. Even though he remembered Shira given StarFire the say so to do it, he never expected Shira to burn down her own home. But still...Could it be done? The whole forest? Who said that fire would kill off the disease that was rapidly spreading across the island?  
"No! Shira, you can't!"  
"What?! Why not?!" Shira demanded. More than half of her expected Diego to agree with her decision, but he didn't. Why?  
"I don't want to lose you again!" Diego yelled out. After saying that, he eased down and rested his head on Shira's neck.  
"Not for real this time."  
"Diego, I have to. We have to."  
"No, I won't let you."  
Shira really didn't want to argue with him. She tried finding any persuasion that could help, when something finally came to her.  
"We're outlanders. We've got each others backs. Do those words have any meaning anymore?"  
Diego looks up at her. He stares into her eyes and suddenly gives her a lick on the face, causing her to laugh.  
'He's such a softie.' Shira thinks to herself, a smirk coming across her face as she realizes how many times she's said that.  
"Of course they have meaning to them."  
Shira was about to respond, when Diego again, pressed his lips against hers.  
For some reason, to Shira, no matter how many times Diego has done this, each time gets better and better. However this time, it stood out far beyond any other time. She felt as though he was doing it to show protection. How he'd be willing to take a spear to the stomach rather than watch her die right in front of him.  
Once Diego let go, he looked her in the eyes, "And that's why I'll help you." He said with the most beautiful smile Shira has ever seen him make before.  
"You will?" She asked as a smile came across her face.  
"Of course. You helped me find a purpose in life, and I'm willing to help you find a purpose."  
"Diego, you're my purpose. You're the only reason why I see any point to continue living everyday, and I'm sorry if I haven't expressed this enough already, but waking up everyday and knowing that you're with me makes my life that more meaningful and amazing."  
Diego starts rubbing his nose with hers, "Shira, you can say anything to me as many times as you'd like. Hearing you say,'I love you' a thousand times would be music to my ears."  
"I don't know, I think I'd say it a lot more than a thousand times."  
"I don't doubt that." Diego says, purring to the sound of Shira's heart beat getting faster and faster.  
"Ya, I love you that much." She said, pulling Diego down and getting on top of him. She then laid her body on Diego's, causing her to relax every muscle in her body.  
"So, you'll do it, then?" Shira asks, looking down at him.  
"Shira. I'm just so afraid. I don't want to lose you. I'll do everything to prevent that from happening. If StarFire were still here, then maybe. I could trust him to pull the job off."  
"Diego, um... Maybe I should have told you this earlier..."  
Diego's ears pierced up, ready to listen to what she was about to say.  
"I... I think StarFire... He's..."  
"He's what?"  
"I don't think he's entirely dead yet." She said, looking up and expecting a confused look on his face, but instead got more of a surprised look on his face.  
"What, you mean he's still... Alive?"  
"We'll, kind of." Shira started, as she got off Diego and cuddled into chest, trying to find a more relaxing position.  
"He's trapped. BlackFire's got him. That thing. It's corrupting StarFire's mind!"  
"Where is he? We've got to help him!" Diego said, starting to get up. However, Shira was pretty comfortable at the moment, and pulled Diego back down.  
"No, you don't understand. We can't get to him. He's where ever BlackFire is. And..." Shira stopped.  
"What?" Diego asked, starting to stroke Shira's shoulder up and down.  
"The Epsilon Forest! He's being held there! BlackFire never corrupted him, he's just trying to make me believe he did!"  
"Shira, I don't really understand."  
Shira started to lie back down, "Neither do I."  
Diego shook his head, "Should we head there? Maybe we'll get some ideas as we travel there."  
Shira didn't say anything back as if she didn't have an answer.  
"And how do you know he'll be in there?"  
"I just know. When ever I got a vision of BlackFire, it was in the Epsilon forest. He has to be there. He has to be."  
"Well then, we'd better get going." Diego says, getting up and starts heading in the direction of the cursed forest.  
"Wait, Diego!" Shira said, running up to him.  
"What?"  
"Are you still keeping your promise"  
"I'm keeping quite a lot of them. Which one?"  
"Can you promise me you won't do anything too out of your league?"  
"...You know, you should have told StarFire that. You know, that one night before that polar bear attacked."  
"Well, I didn't. And look what happened because it. After what happened to him, I just..."  
She stopped, leaning into Diego for comfort.  
"Shira, nothing's gonna happen to me." Diego says, looking into Shira's eyes.  
"I don't want to watch you-"  
"I promise."  
Shira nods her head. Both sabers start heading to the epsilon forest with worry enveloping both of them.  
'What's gonna happen to us? All the step we take. All the moves we make. What will these cause? BlackFire, you've driven me crazy. You gave me the meaning of fear. All of your twisted tricks have made me sick to the stomach. Now it's your turn. It's your turn to fear me.

A/N:

**Please R&R, thanks.**


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ice Age or the characters Diego and Shira

Title:

StarFire:

A/N:

**Finally done with this story. I wont upload for a while after this final chapter, but I'll still work on future stories when i get a chance. I'll most likely just grammar check all of these chapters and fix them up a little. So, without anymore author's notes, enjoy the last chapter of StarFire.**

"Should we be doing this?" Shira asked Diego who was walking right beside her. Heading back to the Epsilon forest seemed as though it were becoming a weekly routine for the two sabers. This isn't the first time they've done it. If they found StarFire there last time, then chanced are, he'll be there again.  
"If he's there, then why not? You sure he is?"  
"He's just got to be there. I know it." Shira said, walking more close to Diego than usual. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably out of fear. What if she loses him. For good. The thoughts, the feelings that would go through her head if it happened would be unpredictable.  
"Don't be afraid." Diego tells her, trying to keep her calm. Shira's heart beat was so strong at that moment, that Diego could feel it just by leaning up against her.  
"I'm not." She lied. 'Its his turn to fear me.' She tried to keep strong, but fear always gets the best of her.  
"You sure? I'm pretty sure my heart doesn't beat that fast." He says playfully.  
"Oh ya? Well, maybe it's beating that fast because you're so close to me." She says, going along with it.  
Diego, not realizing how close he was to her, quickly gives her some space, causing a blush to appear on his face along with Shira's face.  
'I'll never get tired of that. I just love how he does that, even though we've admitted our love to each other for a while now. I'll never get tired of it, and he'll never get use to it. Things are just perfect. Still, what's gonna happen? Should we be doing this? I really don't want to, but of course, I have to. We have to. He has to.'  
"Shira, lets be honest here." Diego says, his blush slowly fading away.  
'Wow, that's a first.' Shira thinks, smirking to herself.  
"What if, by some chance he isn't there, and, it would be like we put ourselves in danger for no reason at all."  
"But... I need him. We need him."  
"Shira, we can take care of ourselves."  
"Can you also take the risk of losing each other. What if one of us is- what if something happens to us? StarFire was there to help us."  
"What is it, his job?" Diego says, completely forgetting the answer to that, yet as soon as he finished, he remembered the answer immediately. "Oh, right."  
"That's all he ever did." Shira said.  
"Is that all he can do?"  
Shira doesn't answer. Neither sabers say anything until they start noticing the atmosphere changing. The more they walked towards the forest, the more contrast the air around them was getting. Eventually they could see their surroundings turning a color purple. At first, the two sabers were worried that the thick, purple air would be impossible to breathe in, but it was. However, neither knew if this purple fog was deadly or not. At the moment, it didn't seem to affect either of them.  
"Are we in the forest?" Diego says, squinting his eyes, trying to see ahead of him. The fog was too thick to be able to see through.  
"I'm not sure. I'm guessing so."  
"You know Shira, there's still time. We can just turn back."  
Shira, with all honesty, could not make up her mind. She had no clue what each option would benefit, and more importantly, she didn't know what each option would take away from her.  
"I...I'm not sure. I just don't know anymore." Shira said looking to where she thinks Diego was. She couldn't even see three inches in front of her.  
"Diego?" She said, worry instantly forming inside of her.  
"Don't do this! Don't leave me here!" She said, remembering what happened last time, and sure enough, she was feeling dizzy. Her surroundings, if any, we're fading away.  
"DIEGO! I NEED YOU" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She was feeling weak. She couldn't find the strength to support her body, and instantly collapsed to the floor. Her heart was pumping at an incredible speed. A speed that she could not control, as if it were some kind of hell bent disease. She was panting heavily, and at the same time, she was having trouble breathing. In a nutshell, she was being tortured. She felt like she was dying.  
With nothing left to cry for, she just waited for her life to come to an end.  
"She's not waking up." A voice said, rather close to her.  
"Trust me, she will. She has to." Another and rather familiar voice said.  
Finally, Shira managed to find the strength to open her eyes.  
"Hey, she's waking up! Get back over here!" The voice said as Shira's vision came back to her.  
Looking up, still feeling rather nauseous and dizzy, she saw before her Diego and StarFire.  
Shira got up right away, getting sick of these impersonators. She starts to back away.  
"Shira, what are you-" Diego starts, but is interrupted as StarFire puts a hand in front of him.  
"She thinks we're an illusion." StarFire says.  
Hearing that was more than enough proof that this wasn't a trick. It was him. It was the real legend itself. But still, how did she get here? How long was she passed out? It came to her attention and realization that the strange purple fog was still enveloping them, meaning that they were still in the Epsilon forest.  
"How long was I passed out?" She asks, walking closer to them.  
"For a while." Diego answered.  
"Ya, once I found Diego, I found you even deeper in the forest. For a while, you weren't doing anything."  
Shira didn't understand all of it. The last thing she remembered was lying down from all of that torturing that the forest was dwelling around on her, and then the next thing she knows, she's deep within the Epsilon Forest. How did she end up there?  
"StarFire, how did you-"  
"Hey, can you save the questions for later? Right now I think the best thing to do is get rid of this curse for good."  
"Oh, don't tell me. You have a plan, right?" Diego steps in.  
"You know me, never a dull moment." StarFire says those same words again. The last time he said that, Shira remembers it as the day he was killed.  
"BlackFire's here isn't he?" Shira asked so suddenly.  
"I was about to ask you that." StarFire answers back, "So, as I was saying, my plan..." He started.  
"I'm listening." Diego says.  
"Remember this?" StarFire said, as he pulled out the most contrast stone Shira has ever seen.  
"The reason you're not dead, is because of this stone. As long as we're inclosed in it's perimeter, we'll be safe from the fog."  
"Huh, anything else you'd like to throw away on what that stone does." Diego asks.  
"As far as I know, that's all it does."  
"And it does more than you'd ever know." A deep voice says among the thick fog.  
StarFire doesn't say anything. He looks behind him to see what all three of them have been looking for.  
"Oh, StarFire. Still the clueless being as I remember." It said.  
StarFire let a smirk of sarcasm come across his face.  
"Now, I won't go into any long lecture, for I know you're a very busy person. StarFire, my demand is quite simple. Hand over that stone you hold so dearly, and make no attempt of resistance, otherwise..."  
"Otherwise?"  
"Otherwise your original state of being will seize to exist."  
"You know I can't make that promise." StarFire says, still looking at the stone he held.  
"So that's your finally answer?"  
"I suppose it is."  
Suddenly, a dark shadow casted upon the area, forming a human like figure.  
To Shira's surprise, it looked rather familiar.  
"What?! Isn't that-" Diego started, but couldn't believe what he was seeing. The figure looked exactly like StarFire. Only instead of blonde hair, he had black hair, and instead of blue eyes, he had blood shot red eyes. He was an opposite, a shadow of StarFire.  
"Those who deny me will meet death." BlackFire threatened, pulling out a rather similar stone to the one that StarFire had.  
"I require both stones." He added.  
"And I say, you don't deserve either." StarFire said.  
While Diego was close to Shira, she noticed that StarFire's stone was becoming more and more contrast to the point where it wasn't even a stone anymore. It was just a bright light surrounding StarFire. BlackFire's stone was doing the same thing. Soon, both stones created an impossible to see through light that slowly faded away. Once the area emerged clearly again, Shira could see the stone that StarFire had was no longer a stone at all, but instead has formed into a blade of what looked to be made out of ice. BlackFire had the same thing happen to his stone as well, only his was a dark purple color.  
"This forest will become your tomb." BlackFire's deep voice echoed throughout the forest.  
"You can't beat me, BlackFire. You're my shadow. You mimic everything I do, and I've got allies with me." StarFire says as Diego and Shira stand by his side.  
Suddenly, in a flash of light, two figures appear, standing on both sides of BlackFire.  
"I can only imagine." StarFire said with sarcasm in his words. The two figures were shadows of Diego and Shira.  
"Better?" BlackFire says, smirking at them. "Cause your adventure days are coming to an end."  
StarFire makes the first swing, colliding his blade with his shadow, using all his strength to force him back. As he was doing this, Shira's shadow jumped for StarFire, planning to take him to the ground, but instead did the exact opposite as Diego pinned it to the ground, and starting to claw at its face.  
Shira couldn't believe that any of this was happening. It couldn't be. She stood there, too afraid to fight, too worried for all the consequences for all of this.  
Her worry left her as she felt her self pinned to the ground. She looks up to see a pair of red, blood-shot eyes staring at her with looks that kill. She immediately felt her chest being slashed at.  
Diego heard the cutting and ripping sounds and turns his head to Shira, fearing the worst. With out hesitation, Diego jumps off his current pray, and runs into Shira's attacker, slamming it into a nearby tree. He then sinks his teeth into it's neck and holds it with all of his strength. His shadow tried kicking a few times, giving a swipe with his claws once or twice, but couldn't find the strength to cause any pain. Giving up, he lets Diego take the oxygen away from him until he was dead.  
Once Diego released his jaw, he looked down, and couldn't believe what he just did. He killed one of his own kind. Sure, it was against him, and it may have been a fake impersonator, but it felt so real to him. It begged him stop. It's movement was so real. Thinking about this, Diego began to cry, but Shira came up, licked him on the cheek, and reminded him that they weren't done.  
StarFire was having the time of his life trying to deal with two enemies at once. It was now him that was out numbered. Shira could tell that he was slowly losing fatigue. His swings weren't as fast as BlackFire's, he was losing his balance, and eventually, he gave up and collapsed to the ground.  
Shira's shadow was about to claw at him, but BlackFire out his hand in the way, commanding him to stay. StarFire, looking defenseless and bleeding in multiple areas, puts his hands up in defense. He was shaking uncontrollably.  
BlackFire points his sword at StarFire.  
"Don't be a fool. Stop all this nonsense." BlackFire said inside of StarFire's mind.  
"It is not sacrifice. It is evolution."  
"Live together."  
The voices that have appeared numerous times before were now enveloping Diego and Shira's minds as well.  
At that moment, everything went silent to Shira. The screams coming from StarFire, the blood getting washed away by the rain, even the voices stopped inside her head. All she could hear was the pounding sound that her heart was making. Or was it even hers?  
"Shira." A voice finally said.  
Shira took a deep breath, and couldn't believe who she heard.  
"Krystal?"  
"That's enough. There's no need for you to get hurt anymore."  
"Wha-? How-" Shira became speechless.  
Diego for some reason could hear the voice too.  
"Shira! Don't listen to it! You know Krystal is-"  
"I know!" Shira says, interrupting Diego.  
"Krystal... Krystal would never tell me to give up!"  
But what was she suppose to do?  
What could she do?  
"When the time comes, don't hesitate, just act." Shira remembered those words the first time she went back into the forest and when she first saw BlackFire.  
"Diego, we need to take care of that shadow first!" Shira said, looking at Diego.  
Diego looked defeated and out of breath.  
"I can't. I'm done." Diego said, collapsing to the ground.  
"We can't give up. StarFire needs-"  
"It's too late." Diego says looking towards StarFire whose body was lifeless once again. For a moment, Shira assumed that he'd get a third chance and rise again, but her expectations never seemed to happen.  
"Come on, we need to get out of here!" Diego yelled, getting up.  
"What?! Why?! What about StarFire?!"  
"What else can we do?! Leave him! We have to-"  
Just then, Diego was slammed into a tree and felt the rough bark stab into his back.  
"No one leaves here alive!" The deep, angered voice yelled. BlackFire pulls out his sword shaped stone, and gets ready to deliver the final blow.  
"No! Get away from him!" Shira yelled, ready to jump at BlackFire.  
The red bloodshot eyes looked at Shira, then back at Diego, who he was holding up against the tree with his arms.  
"Ohhhh, I see what's going on." He says with the most twisted smirk on his face.  
"Your life is complete, isn't it?"  
Shira doesn't say anything. She was shaking uncontrollably. She already knew where this was going.  
"Wouldn't it be a shame if I... Took that away?" He says and instantly does what she's has been fearing would never happen. BlackFire lunges his sword straight into Diego's chest. It doesn't go all the way, just half way through.  
At that moment, Shira felt like she was an entirely different saber. She didn't feel loved anymore. She felt alone. She became her old self again. She knew she was crying like hell, but too much pain flowed through her to care or notice.  
"Your soul is mine, softie!" BlackFire says, smiling right in Diego's face.  
Diego tried to breath easily and let in all of the oxygen he could receive, but was having difficulty in doing so.  
Just then, hearing BlackFire say that word filled her with absolute rage.  
"Nobody..." She begins, breathing heavily with tears flowing down her face.  
"Nobody calls him softie but me!" She screams and jumps at BlackFire. Unfortunately, he saw it coming and stuck out his hand at Shira and used some kind of dark force to push her against another tree.  
'Its over. For real. All of it. Gone." She says, and bursts into tears, not able to control herself. As she was doing this, she heard a deep voice scream its head off.  
Shira looked up to see StarFire behind BlackFire with his sword shaped stone piercing through his shadow's chest.  
BlackFire looks down at his chest. Instead of blood spilling out, it was a bright light that was leaking out of him.  
"D-damn you. Damn you, StarFi-" before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed to the floor, lifeless. Once he was truly dead, Shira's shadow instantly dissolved away.  
Soon after, StarFire does the same and drops to the floor. Shira limps over to him.  
"Shira. I- I'm-"  
"Please don't leave." She said, tears still running down. She tried not to look at Diego , who she just lost, but couldn't help it. She looked up at him whose corpse was pinned into the tree by BlackFire's sword. His eyes were still open, and gleaming down at her, she saw only one emotion in his eyes. Fear. He was afraid to die. He didn't want to, and Shira didn't want him to.  
Shira jumps up on him, leans into his chest, and connects his lips with hers. She could taste nothing but blood, however, she didn't care. She wanted her last moment with him to be her best.  
She stayed that way until she felt Diego's body starting to relax, and at that moment, she completely lost it.  
"No! Don't leave me! I need you!" She yells, leaning into his chest. It'll be the last time she'll ever feel his warmth at night.  
Diego looked like he was about to say something, but suddenly dropped his head lifeless at the ground. He was gone.  
Shira didn't scream. She didn't say anything, because it wouldn't help anything.  
She just laid against him and cried, and in StarFire's lifeless hand was the stone. The stone that caused it all.  
As an old day passes  
A new one rises.  
But for now,  
Rest easy, heroes.


End file.
